How much does a painter make in Virginia?
In Virginia, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $23.61 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.82 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.61
$22.82
$26.64
$3.03 less an hour
$49,109
By the hour, the week and the year in Virginia
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.61 an hour comes to $944.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $49,109 a year, and the median of $22.82 to $47,466 a year.
In Virginia, the average is $0.79 above the median (3.5%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $22.82 an hour or less.
How does Virginia compare?
The average in Virginia is $3.03 below the national average of $26.64 (11.4% less), about $6,302 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Virginia ranks 33 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Virginia and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, Virginia ranks 5 of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is District of Columbia, $29.92, and the lowest South Carolina, $20.22.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$6.31 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | +$3.74 |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$3.15 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | +$0.69 |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | -$0.32 |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | -$2.02 |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | -$2.08 |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$3.39 |
This trade and the others in Virginia
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Virginia. Among them, the average runs from $16.59 (Cleaning) to $26.59 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $26.59 | $26.84 | +$2.98 |
| Concrete | $25.43 | $24.49 | +$1.82 |
| Painting | $23.61 | $22.82 | |
| Landscaping | $19.60 | $18.46 | -$4.01 |
| Cleaning | $16.59 | $16.26 | -$7.02 |
Against the minimum wage in Virginia
The minimum wage in Virginia is $12.77 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $22.82, is $10.05 above it, 78.7% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $26,562 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 Virginia, $22.82 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $182.56 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $332.14; 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.