Painter salary in Hawaii
Median $32.80 an hour for 1,900 painters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Painter pay in Hawaii: the full range
Hawaii ranks 1st of 51 states for median painter pay, and 2nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.82). 1,900 painters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $22.64 – $28.59 | $47,090 – $59,480 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $28.59 – $41.00 | $59,480 – $85,280 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $41.00 – $43.67 | $85,280 – $90,830 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Painter pay by metro in Hawaii
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului | $24.50 | $35.41 | $32.37 | $47.89 | 180 | 8% above |
| Honolulu | $22.48 | $31.81 | $28.66 | $43.40 | 1,390 | 3% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Painter wages in Hawaii over time
Table
| Year | Hawaii $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $20.09 | $38.82 | $12.86 | 1,280 |
| 2000 | $21.95 | $41.04 | $13.10 | 1,550 |
| 2001 | $19.83 | $36.05 | $13.66 | 1,680 |
| 2002 | $19.81 | $35.45 | $13.98 | 1,730 |
| 2003 | $19.72 | $34.50 | $14.12 | 1,750 |
| 2004 | $19.37 | $33.01 | $14.55 | 1,810 |
| 2005 | $17.99 | $29.66 | $14.81 | 1,930 |
| 2006 | $20.78 | $33.18 | $15.00 | 1,900 |
| 2007 | $20.31 | $31.54 | $15.42 | 2,050 |
| 2008 | $23.14 | $34.60 | $15.85 | 1,910 |
| 2009 | $22.31 | $33.48 | $16.21 | 1,820 |
| 2010 | $22.94 | $33.87 | $16.48 | 1,470 |
| 2011 | $24.25 | $34.71 | $17.04 | 1,830 |
| 2012 | $23.35 | $32.74 | $16.92 | 1,520 |
| 2013 | $23.40 | $32.34 | $17.01 | 1,640 |
| 2014 | $23.07 | $31.37 | $17.29 | 1,720 |
| 2015 | $25.41 | $34.51 | $17.59 | 2,110 |
| 2016 | $25.52 | $34.23 | $18.06 | 2,050 |
| 2017 | $25.95 | $34.08 | $18.25 | 2,010 |
| 2018 | $26.53 | $34.01 | $18.72 | 1,850 |
| 2019 | $26.51 | $33.38 | $19.37 | 1,820 |
| 2020 | $27.60 | $34.33 | $20.25 | 1,880 |
| 2021 | $28.85 | $34.28 | $21.92 | 2,010 |
| 2022 | $29.26 | $32.19 | $22.16 | 1,810 |
| 2023 | $31.41 | $33.19 | $22.94 | 1,770 |
| 2024 | $32.51 | $33.37 | $23.40 | 1,630 |
| 2025 | $32.80 | $32.80 | $23.75 | 1,900 |
In today's dollars, the median painter wage in Hawaii changed by -5.0% over the last ten years of data and by -1.7% since 2019.
Are there more painter jobs in Hawaii?
BLS counted 1,900 painters in Hawaii in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 8%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for painters in Hawaii
Hawaii's labor market agency projects the number of painters in the state to change by +3.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,550 to 2,650, with about 210 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,900 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Hawaii labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in Hawaii
On federally funded construction in Hawaii, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 5 of the 5 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $74.10 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $32.80.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Union PAIN1791-001 2025-07-01 | $44.05 | $30.05 | $74.10 | HI20260001 |
| Honolulu | Union PAIN1791-001 2025-07-01 | $44.05 | $30.05 | $74.10 | HI20260001 |
| Kalawao | Union PAIN1791-001 2025-07-01 | $44.05 | $30.05 | $74.10 | HI20260001 |
| Kauai | Union PAIN1791-001 2025-07-01 | $44.05 | $30.05 | $74.10 | HI20260001 |
| Maui | Union PAIN1791-001 2025-07-01 | $44.05 | $30.05 | $74.10 | HI20260001 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Hawaii prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Hawaii?
Keep comparing
Painter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Hawaii
More on Hawaii
Questions this page answers
How much do painters make in Hawaii?
The median painter in Hawaii earned $32.80 an hour ($68,220 a year) in May 2025, 38% above the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $28.59–$41.00; the top 10% earn more than $43.67.
Where does Hawaii rank for painter pay?
Hawaii ranks 1st of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $32.80 an hour, and 2nd after adjusting for Hawaii's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.0, US = 100).
What is the union painter rate in Hawaii?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 5 counties, with a typical package of $74.10 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many painters work in Hawaii?
BLS counted 1,900 painters in Hawaii in May 2025, 3.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.09; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is painter work growing in Hawaii?
Hawaii's labor market agency projects +3.9% growth for painters between 2024 and 2034, from 2,550 to 2,650 jobs.
How many painter openings a year are there in Hawaii?
Hawaii projects about 210 openings a year for painters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 24,900 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Hawaii and metro areas, SOC 47-2141. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Hawaii labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.