How much does a painter make in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $21.59 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.21 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.59
$21.21
$26.64
$5.05 less an hour
$44,907
By the hour, the week and the year in North Carolina
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.59 an hour comes to $863.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $44,907 a year, and the median of $21.21 to $44,117 a year.
In North Carolina, the average is $0.38 above the median (1.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.21 an hour or less.
How does North Carolina compare?
The average in North Carolina is $5.05 below the national average of $26.64 (19.0% less), about $10,504 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, North Carolina ranks 46 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
North Carolina and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, North Carolina ranks 7 of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is District of Columbia, $29.92, and the lowest South Carolina, $20.22.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$8.33 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | +$5.76 |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$5.17 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | +$2.71 |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | +$2.02 |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | +$1.70 |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | -$0.06 |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$1.37 |
This trade and the others in North Carolina
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in North Carolina. Among them, the average runs from $16.07 (Cleaning) to $22.70 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $22.70 | $22.49 | +$1.11 |
| Drywall | $21.66 | $21.67 | +$0.07 |
| Painting | $21.59 | $21.21 | |
| Landscaping | $19.04 | $18.22 | -$2.55 |
| Cleaning | $16.07 | $15.05 | -$5.52 |
Against the minimum wage in North Carolina
In North Carolina most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.21, is $13.96 above it, 2.9 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $15,080 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in North Carolina, $21.21 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $169.68 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $315.85; at the national median, $23.75, the same job comes to $341.55. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.