How much does a painter make in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $20.22 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $19.64 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$20.22
$19.64
$26.64
$6.42 less an hour
$42,058
By the hour, the week and the year in South Carolina
At 40 hours a week, the average of $20.22 an hour comes to $808.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $42,058 a year, and the median of $19.64 to $40,851 a year.
In South Carolina, the average is $0.58 above the median (3.0%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $19.64 an hour or less.
How does South Carolina compare?
The average in South Carolina is $6.42 below the national average of $26.64 (24.1% less), about $13,354 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, South Carolina ranks 51 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
South Carolina and its Census division, South Atlantic
Of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade, South Carolina pays the lowest average, $20.22; the next is West Virginia with $21.53.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$9.70 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | +$7.13 |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$6.54 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | +$4.08 |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | +$3.39 |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | +$3.07 |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | +$1.37 |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | +$1.31 |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 |
This trade and the others in South Carolina
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in South Carolina. Among them, the average runs from $14.88 (Cleaning) to $26.03 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $26.03 | $23.73 | +$5.81 |
| Drywall | $23.28 | $21.80 | +$3.06 |
| Painting | $20.22 | $19.64 | |
| Landscaping | $18.04 | $17.65 | -$2.18 |
| Cleaning | $14.88 | $14.55 | -$5.34 |
Against the minimum wage in South Carolina
In South Carolina most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $19.64, is $12.39 above it, 2.7 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 South Carolina, $19.64 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $157.12 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $299.95; 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.