How much does a painter make in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $26.07 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $25.06 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.07
$25.06
$26.64
$0.57 less an hour
$54,226
By the hour, the week and the year in Pennsylvania
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.07 an hour comes to $1,042.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $54,226 a year, and the median of $25.06 to $52,125 a year.
In Pennsylvania, the average is $1.01 above the median (4.0%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $25.06 an hour or less.
How does Pennsylvania compare?
The average in Pennsylvania is $0.57 below the national average of $26.64 (2.1% less), about $1,186 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Pennsylvania ranks 23 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Pennsylvania and its Census division, Middle Atlantic
Of the 3 states of the division with data for this trade, Pennsylvania pays the lowest average, $26.07; the next is New Jersey with $29.33.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $32.72 | $28.64 | +$6.65 |
| New Jersey | $29.33 | $28.49 | +$3.26 |
| Pennsylvania | $26.07 | $25.06 |
This trade and the others in Pennsylvania
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Pennsylvania. Among them, the average runs from $16.23 (Cleaning) to $29.82 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.82 | $29.62 | +$3.75 |
| Drywall | $29.80 | $29.40 | +$3.73 |
| Painting | $26.07 | $25.06 | |
| Landscaping | $19.95 | $18.99 | -$6.12 |
| Cleaning | $16.23 | $16.29 | -$9.84 |
Against the minimum wage in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $25.06, is $17.81 above it, 3.5 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 Pennsylvania, $25.06 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $200.48 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $354.81; 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.