How much does a painter make in Texas?
In Texas, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $22.13 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.86 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.13
$21.86
$26.64
$4.51 less an hour
$46,030
By the hour, the week and the year in Texas
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.13 an hour comes to $885.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $46,030 a year, and the median of $21.86 to $45,469 a year.
In Texas, the average is $0.27 above the median (1.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.86 an hour or less.
How does Texas compare?
The average in Texas is $4.51 below the national average of $26.64 (16.9% less), about $9,381 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Texas ranks 42 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Texas and its Census division, West South Central
Texas shares the highest average of the division, $22.13, with Louisiana, among the 4 states with data for this trade.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $22.13 | $22.31 | $0.00 |
| Texas | $22.13 | $21.86 | |
| Oklahoma | $21.85 | $21.59 | -$0.28 |
| Arkansas | $20.28 | $19.28 | -$1.85 |
This trade and the others in Texas
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Texas. Among them, the average runs from $14.56 (Cleaning) to $23.69 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $23.69 | $22.84 | +$1.56 |
| Drywall | $23.58 | $22.88 | +$1.45 |
| Painting | $22.13 | $21.86 | |
| Landscaping | $18.27 | $17.66 | -$3.86 |
| Cleaning | $14.56 | $14.26 | -$7.57 |
Against the minimum wage in Texas
In Texas most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.86, is $14.61 above it, 3.0 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 Texas, $21.86 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $174.88 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $322.43; 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.