How much does a painter make in Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, painters in construction and maintenance earned an average of $26.05 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.08 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.05
$24.08
$26.64
$0.59 less an hour
$54,184
By the hour, the week and the year in Wisconsin
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.05 an hour comes to $1,042.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $54,184 a year, and the median of $24.08 to $50,086 a year.
In Wisconsin, the average is $1.97 above the median (8.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of painters in construction and maintenance earn $24.08 an hour or less.
How does Wisconsin compare?
The average in Wisconsin is $0.59 below the national average of $26.64 (2.2% less), about $1,227 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Wisconsin ranks 24 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $23.75 an hour.
Wisconsin and its Census division, East North Central
By average wage, Wisconsin ranks 4 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Illinois, $33.48, and the lowest Indiana, $25.48.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $33.48 | $29.45 | +$7.43 |
| Michigan | $26.88 | $24.35 | +$0.83 |
| Ohio | $26.21 | $23.77 | +$0.16 |
| Wisconsin | $26.05 | $24.08 | |
| Indiana | $25.48 | $24.16 | -$0.57 |
This trade and the others in Wisconsin
Of the 5 trades this site prices, painters in construction and maintenance rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Wisconsin. Among them, the average runs from $17.13 (Cleaning) to $33.09 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $33.09 | $30.89 | +$7.04 |
| Drywall | $28.86 | $28.83 | +$2.81 |
| Painting | $26.05 | $24.08 | |
| Landscaping | $20.55 | $19.82 | -$5.50 |
| Cleaning | $17.13 | $17.08 | -$8.92 |
Against the minimum wage in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of painters in construction and maintenance, $24.08, is $16.83 above it, 3.3 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 Wisconsin, $24.08 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the painting calculator cost $192.64 in wages. With its $80.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $344.89; 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.