Skilled Wages

Painter salary in Alabama

Median $21.12 an hour for 1,570 painters, construction and maintenance, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$21.12/hrMedian hourly wageAlabama, May data
$43,930/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$16.44 – $27.6410th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,570Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Painter pay in Alabama: the full range

Wage percentiles, AlabamaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrAlabama: 10th $16.44 · 25th $18.00 · median $21.12 · 75th $24.24 · 90th $27.64Alabama$21.12$16.44$27.64United States: 10th $18.00 · 25th $21.46 · median $23.75 · 75th $29.65 · 90th $37.89United States$23.75
Hourly wage percentiles for painters, construction and maintenance: Alabama vs United States, May 2025.

Alabama ranks 47th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.78). 1,570 painters, construction and maintenance work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$16.44 – $18.00$34,190 – $37,440roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.00 – $24.24$37,440 – $50,410the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$24.24 – $27.64$50,410 – $57,490the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Painter pay by metro in Alabama

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrAnniston: $29.56Anniston$29.56Florence: $23.17Florence$23.17Mobile: $22.29Mobile$22.29Tuscaloosa: $22.22Tuscaloosa$22.22Huntsville: $21.88Huntsville$21.88Birmingham: $21.42Birmingham$21.42Dothan: $21.11Dothan$21.11Daphne: $20.85Daphne$20.85Montgomery: $19.52Montgomery$19.52Columbus: $19.28Columbus$19.28Auburn: $18.69Auburn$18.69
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance by metro area in Alabama, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Anniston$20.50$29.56$30.967040% above
Florence$17.57$23.17$23.178010% above
Mobile$16.83$22.29$27.472306% above
Tuscaloosa$15.19$22.22$28.58905% above
Huntsville$16.64$21.88$28.471304% above
Birmingham$16.68$21.42$28.373801% above
Dothan$15.74$21.11$26.2270about the same as
Daphne$17.59$20.85$27.561201% below
Montgomery$14.69$19.52$24.60608% below
Columbus$16.00$19.28$24.45909% below
Auburn$15.66$18.69$29.304012% below

Painter wages in Alabama over time

Alabama, 1999-2025AlabamaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$23.75United States$21.12Alabama
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance, Alabama vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearAlabama $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.90$23.00$12.863,690
2000$12.12$22.66$13.103,970
2001$12.24$22.25$13.663,900
2002$12.93$23.14$13.983,850
2003$13.23$23.15$14.123,460
2004$13.25$22.58$14.553,550
2005$13.08$21.56$14.813,550
2006$12.54$20.03$15.004,020
2007$13.45$20.88$15.423,310
2008$14.06$21.02$15.852,990
2009$14.47$21.71$16.212,590
2010$14.35$21.19$16.482,470
2011$14.73$21.08$17.042,360
2012$14.45$20.26$16.922,270
2013$14.97$20.69$17.012,150
2014$15.14$20.59$17.292,120
2015$15.73$21.37$17.591,880
2016$16.33$21.90$18.061,940
2017$16.73$21.97$18.252,080
2018$17.18$22.03$18.722,490
2019$17.37$21.87$19.372,380
2020$17.49$21.76$20.252,270
2021$17.94$21.31$21.921,870
2022$18.51$20.36$22.162,010
2023$20.64$21.81$22.941,800
2024$21.97$22.55$23.401,750
2025$21.12$21.12$23.751,570

In today's dollars, the median painter wage in Alabama changed by -1.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in Alabama

On federally funded construction in Alabama, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 67 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $15.10). 67 of the 67 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Autauga County at $14.31). The market median for the state is $21.12.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ALAutauga: $14.31 (survey)Baldwin: $14.31 (survey)Barbour: $15.83 (survey)Bibb: $14.31 (survey)Blount: $14.31 (survey)Bullock: $15.83 (survey)Butler: $15.83 (survey)Calhoun: $14.31 (survey)Chambers: $15.10 (survey)Cherokee: $15.10 (survey)Chilton: $14.31 (survey)Choctaw: $15.83 (survey)Clarke: $15.83 (survey)Clay: $15.10 (survey)Cleburne: $15.10 (survey)Coffee: $15.83 (survey)Colbert: $14.31 (survey)Conecuh: $15.83 (survey)Coosa: $15.10 (survey)Covington: $15.83 (survey)Crenshaw: $15.83 (survey)Cullman: $15.10 (survey)Dale: $15.83 (survey)Dallas: $15.83 (survey)DeKalb: $15.10 (survey)Elmore: $14.31 (survey)Escambia: $15.83 (survey)Etowah: $14.31 (survey)Fayette: $15.10 (survey)Franklin: $15.10 (survey)Geneva: $14.31 (survey)Greene: $15.83 (survey)Hale: $14.31 (survey)Henry: $14.31 (survey)Houston: $14.31 (survey)Jackson: $15.10 (survey)Jefferson: $14.31 (survey)Lamar: $15.10 (survey)Lauderdale: $14.31 (survey)Lawrence: $14.31 (survey)Lee: $14.31 (survey)Limestone: $14.31 (survey)Lowndes: $14.31 (survey)Macon: $15.83 (survey)Madison: $14.31 (survey)Marengo: $15.83 (survey)Marion: $15.10 (survey)Marshall: $15.10 (survey)Mobile: $14.31 (survey)Monroe: $15.83 (survey)Montgomery: $14.31 (survey)Morgan: $14.31 (survey)Perry: $15.83 (survey)Pickens: $14.31 (survey)Pike: $15.83 (survey)Randolph: $15.10 (survey)Russell: $14.31 (survey)St. Clair: $14.31 (survey)Shelby: $14.31 (survey)Sumter: $15.83 (survey)Talladega: $15.10 (survey)Tallapoosa: $15.10 (survey)Tuscaloosa: $14.31 (survey)Walker: $14.31 (survey)Washington: $15.83 (survey)Wilcox: $15.83 (survey)Winston: $15.10 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$15.10survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for painters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$10$15$20$25$30$35/hrMacon (Auburn): market median $18.69, prevailing (survey) $15.83, gap −$2.86Macon (Auburn)−$2.86Russell (Columbus): market median $19.28, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$4.97Russell (Columbus)−$4.97Autauga (Montgomery): market median $19.52, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$5.21Autauga (Montgomery)−$5.21Greene (Tuscaloosa): market median $22.22, prevailing (survey) $15.83, gap −$6.39Greene (Tuscaloosa)−$6.39Baldwin (Daphne): market median $20.85, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$6.54Baldwin (Daphne)−$6.54Geneva (Dothan): market median $21.11, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$6.80Geneva (Dothan)−$6.80Etowah (Alabama): market median $21.12, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$6.81Etowah (Alabama)−$6.81Bibb (Birmingham): market median $21.42, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$7.11Bibb (Birmingham)−$7.11Limestone (Huntsville): market median $21.88, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$7.57Limestone (Huntsville)−$7.57Mobile (Mobile): market median $22.29, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$7.98Mobile (Mobile)−$7.98Colbert (Florence): market median $23.17, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$8.86Colbert (Florence)−$8.86Calhoun (Anniston): market median $29.56, prevailing (survey) $14.31, gap −$15.25Calhoun (Anniston)−$15.25
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for painters, metro counties in Alabama.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BarbourSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
BullockSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
ButlerSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
ChoctawSurvey SUAL2015-008 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260080
ClarkeSurvey SUAL2015-001 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260073
CoffeeSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
ConecuhSurvey SUAL2015-008 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260080
CovingtonSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
CrenshawSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
DaleSurvey SUAL2015-003 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260075
DallasSurvey SUAL2015-008 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260080
EscambiaSurvey SUAL2015-008 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260080
GreeneSurvey SUAL2015-008 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260080
MaconSurvey SUAL2015-006 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260078
MarengoSurvey SUAL2015-008 2017-08-02$15.83$0.00$15.83AL20260080

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Alabama prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Alabama?

113.4kConstruction jobsAlabama, 2026-08
+2.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202660k80k100k120k19901995200020052010201520202025113kAug 2026
Construction employment in Alabama (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Painter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Alabama

Questions this page answers

How much do painters make in Alabama?

The median painter in Alabama earned $21.12 an hour ($43,930 a year) in May 2025, 11% below the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $18.00–$24.24; the top 10% earn more than $27.64.

Where does Alabama rank for painter pay?

Alabama ranks 47th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $21.12 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for Alabama's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.8, US = 100).

What is the union painter rate in Alabama?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a painter classification for most Alabama counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many painters work in Alabama?

BLS counted 1,570 painters, construction and maintenance in Alabama in May 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.51; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Alabama and metro areas, SOC 47-2141.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.