How much does a painter make in Rhode Island?
In Rhode Island, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $23.15 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $20.00 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.15
$20.00
$26.64
$3.49 less an hour
$48,152
By the hour, the week and the year in Rhode Island
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.15 an hour comes to $926.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,152 a year, and the median of $20.00 to $41,600 a year.
In Rhode Island, the average is $3.15 above the median (15.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $20.00 an hour or less.
How does Rhode Island compare?
The average in Rhode Island is $3.49 below the national average of $26.64 (13.1% less), about $7,259 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Rhode Island ranks 35 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Rhode Island and its Census division, New England
Of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade, Rhode Island pays the lowest average, $23.15; the next is New Hampshire with $25.35.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $30.81 | $27.65 | +$7.66 |
| Connecticut | $30.53 | $28.12 | +$7.38 |
| Maine | $28.96 | $28.50 | +$5.81 |
| Vermont | $26.39 | $25.54 | +$3.24 |
| New Hampshire | $25.35 | $23.88 | +$2.20 |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $20.00 |
This trade and the others in Rhode Island
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Rhode Island. Among them, the average runs from $18.88 (Cleaning) to $31.74 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $31.74 | $30.26 | +$8.59 |
| Drywall | $27.58 | $22.65 | +$4.43 |
| Painting | $23.15 | $20.00 | |
| Landscaping | $21.82 | $21.51 | -$1.33 |
| Cleaning | $18.88 | $18.05 | -$4.27 |
Against the minimum wage in Rhode Island
The minimum wage in Rhode Island is $16.00 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $20.00, is $4.00 above it, 25.0% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $33,280 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 Rhode Island, $20.00 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $160.00 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $303.60; 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.