How much does a painter make in Vermont?
In Vermont, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $26.39 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $25.54 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.39
$25.54
$26.64
$0.25 less an hour
$54,891
By the hour, the week and the year in Vermont
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.39 an hour comes to $1,055.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $54,891 a year, and the median of $25.54 to $53,123 a year.
In Vermont, the average is $0.85 above the median (3.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $25.54 an hour or less.
How does Vermont compare?
The average in Vermont is $0.25 below the national average of $26.64 (0.9% less), about $520 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Vermont ranks 20 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Vermont and its Census division, New England
By average wage, Vermont ranks 4 of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Massachusetts, $30.81, and the lowest Rhode Island, $23.15.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Vermont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $30.81 | $27.65 | +$4.42 |
| Connecticut | $30.53 | $28.12 | +$4.14 |
| Maine | $28.96 | $28.50 | +$2.57 |
| Vermont | $26.39 | $25.54 | |
| New Hampshire | $25.35 | $23.88 | -$1.04 |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $20.00 | -$3.24 |
This trade and the others in Vermont
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Vermont. Among them, the average runs from $18.63 (Cleaning) to $30.08 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $30.08 | $29.40 | +$3.69 |
| Drywall | $27.44 | $28.76 | +$1.05 |
| Painting | $26.39 | $25.54 | |
| Landscaping | $22.76 | $22.23 | -$3.63 |
| Cleaning | $18.63 | $18.12 | -$7.76 |
Against the minimum wage in Vermont
The minimum wage in Vermont is $14.42 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $25.54, is $11.12 above it, 77.1% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $29,994 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 Vermont, $25.54 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $204.32 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $359.66; 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.