How much does a painter make in North Dakota?
In North Dakota, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $26.90 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $26.38 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.90
$26.38
$26.64
$0.26 more an hour
$55,952
By the hour, the week and the year in North Dakota
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.90 an hour comes to $1,076.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $55,952 a year, and the median of $26.38 to $54,870 a year.
In North Dakota, the average is $0.52 above the median (2.0%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $26.38 an hour or less.
How does North Dakota compare?
The average in North Dakota is $0.26 above the national average of $26.64 (1.0% more), about $541 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, North Dakota ranks 17 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
North Dakota and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, North Dakota ranks 3 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Missouri, $28.58, and the lowest Kansas, $21.85.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | +$1.68 |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | +$1.07 |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | -$1.86 |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | -$3.96 |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | -$4.50 |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$5.05 |
This trade and the others in North Dakota
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in North Dakota. Among them, the average runs from $17.14 (Cleaning) to $27.31 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.31 | $27.74 | +$0.41 |
| Painting | $26.90 | $26.38 | |
| Drywall | $22.53 | $21.69 | -$4.37 |
| Landscaping | $21.04 | $19.61 | -$5.86 |
| Cleaning | $17.14 | $16.85 | -$9.76 |
Against the minimum wage in North Dakota
In North Dakota most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $26.38, is $19.13 above it, 3.6 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 Dakota, $26.38 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $211.04 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $368.16; 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.