How much does a painter make in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $21.44 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $20.78 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.44
$20.78
$26.64
$5.20 less an hour
$44,595
By the hour, the week and the year in Tennessee
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.44 an hour comes to $857.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $44,595 a year, and the median of $20.78 to $43,222 a year.
In Tennessee, the average is $0.66 above the median (3.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $20.78 an hour or less.
How does Tennessee compare?
The average in Tennessee is $5.20 below the national average of $26.64 (19.5% less), about $10,816 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Tennessee ranks 49 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Tennessee and its Census division, East South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Tennessee pays the lowest average, $21.44; the next is Alabama with $21.50.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $24.72 | $23.13 | +$3.28 |
| Mississippi | $22.33 | $21.54 | +$0.89 |
| Alabama | $21.50 | $21.12 | +$0.06 |
| Tennessee | $21.44 | $20.78 |
This trade and the others in Tennessee
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Tennessee. Among them, the average runs from $15.24 (Cleaning) to $23.90 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $23.90 | $22.84 | +$2.46 |
| Concrete | $23.41 | $23.04 | +$1.97 |
| Painting | $21.44 | $20.78 | |
| Landscaping | $18.56 | $17.80 | -$2.88 |
| Cleaning | $15.24 | $14.83 | -$6.20 |
Against the minimum wage in Tennessee
In Tennessee most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $20.78, is $13.53 above it, 2.9 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 Tennessee, $20.78 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $166.24 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $311.49; 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.