How much does a painter make in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $21.85 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.59 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.85
$21.59
$26.64
$4.79 less an hour
$45,448
By the hour, the week and the year in Oklahoma
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.85 an hour comes to $874.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $45,448 a year, and the median of $21.59 to $44,907 a year.
In Oklahoma, the average is $0.26 above the median (1.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.59 an hour or less.
How does Oklahoma compare?
The average in Oklahoma is $4.79 below the national average of $26.64 (18.0% less), about $9,963 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Oklahoma ranks 45 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Oklahoma and its Census division, West South Central
By average wage, Oklahoma ranks 3 of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Louisiana and Texas, $22.13, and the lowest Arkansas, $20.28.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $22.13 | $22.31 | +$0.28 |
| Texas | $22.13 | $21.86 | +$0.28 |
| Oklahoma | $21.85 | $21.59 | |
| Arkansas | $20.28 | $19.28 | -$1.57 |
This trade and the others in Oklahoma
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Oklahoma. Among them, the average runs from $14.21 (Cleaning) to $22.18 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $22.18 | $22.15 | +$0.33 |
| Concrete | $22.13 | $22.00 | +$0.28 |
| Painting | $21.85 | $21.59 | |
| Landscaping | $17.43 | $17.20 | -$4.42 |
| Cleaning | $14.21 | $13.76 | -$7.64 |
Against the minimum wage in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.59, is $14.34 above it, 3.0 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 Oklahoma, $21.59 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $172.72 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $319.69; 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.