How much does a painter make in West Virginia?
In West Virginia, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $21.53 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.26 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.53
$21.26
$26.64
$5.11 less an hour
$44,782
By the hour, the week and the year in West Virginia
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.53 an hour comes to $861.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $44,782 a year, and the median of $21.26 to $44,221 a year.
In West Virginia, the average is $0.27 above the median (1.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $21.26 an hour or less.
How does West Virginia compare?
The average in West Virginia is $5.11 below the national average of $26.64 (19.2% less), about $10,629 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, West Virginia ranks 47 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
West Virginia and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, West Virginia ranks 8 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 West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $29.92 | $28.61 | +$8.39 |
| Delaware | $27.35 | $28.14 | +$5.82 |
| Maryland | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$5.23 |
| Georgia | $24.30 | $23.24 | +$2.77 |
| Virginia | $23.61 | $22.82 | +$2.08 |
| Florida | $23.29 | $22.85 | +$1.76 |
| North Carolina | $21.59 | $21.21 | +$0.06 |
| West Virginia | $21.53 | $21.26 | |
| South Carolina | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$1.31 |
This trade and the others in West Virginia
Of the 4 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 2 of the 4 by average wage in West Virginia. Among them, the average runs from $13.97 (Cleaning) to $24.33 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $24.33 | $24.98 | +$2.80 |
| Painting | $21.53 | $21.26 | |
| Landscaping | $16.29 | $15.50 | -$5.24 |
| Cleaning | $13.97 | $13.51 | -$7.56 |
Against the minimum wage in West Virginia
The minimum wage in West Virginia is $8.75 an hour for most employers. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $21.26, is $12.51 above it, 2.4 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $18,200 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 West Virginia, $21.26 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $170.08 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $316.35; 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.