How much does a painter make in South Dakota?
In South Dakota, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $22.94 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.15 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.94
$23.15
$26.64
$3.70 less an hour
$47,715
By the hour, the week and the year in South Dakota
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.94 an hour comes to $917.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $47,715 a year, and the median of $23.15 to $48,152 a year.
In South Dakota, the average is $0.21 below the median (0.9%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $23.15 an hour or more.
How does South Dakota compare?
The average in South Dakota is $3.70 below the national average of $26.64 (13.9% less), about $7,696 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, South Dakota ranks 36 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
South Dakota and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, South Dakota ranks 5 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 South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $28.58 | $27.65 | +$5.64 |
| Minnesota | $27.97 | $27.54 | +$5.03 |
| North Dakota | $26.90 | $26.38 | +$3.96 |
| Iowa | $25.04 | $23.90 | +$2.10 |
| South Dakota | $22.94 | $23.15 | |
| Nebraska | $22.40 | $22.73 | -$0.54 |
| Kansas | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$1.09 |
This trade and the others in South Dakota
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in South Dakota. Among them, the average runs from $15.38 (Cleaning) to $24.40 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $24.40 | $23.49 | +$1.46 |
| Concrete | $23.46 | $22.67 | +$0.52 |
| Painting | $22.94 | $23.15 | |
| Landscaping | $17.60 | $17.01 | -$5.34 |
| Cleaning | $15.38 | $14.40 | -$7.56 |
Against the minimum wage in South Dakota
The minimum wage in South Dakota is $11.85 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $23.15, is $11.30 above it, 95.4% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $24,648 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 Dakota, $23.15 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $185.20 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $335.48; 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.