How much does a professional painter get paid per hour?

Question

just wondering?

Answer 1

If you're asking about house painters I can tell you that most of them (from my experiences here in California, Texas, Washington, Maine, etc.) don't usually bid jobs by the hour or charge by the hour. The price they charge is based on a bid for the whole job. The only way you can calculate a per hour rate would be by how quickly (and hopefully how well) you did the bid job (less the cost of materials).

It's pretty much the same with all contractors. They bid a job of how long they think the job will take, how much they think the building materials will cost and they factor in any hired labor costs they will have to pay for helpers.

It you're asking about artists then very few of them, unless it's a commissioned work like a public mural, could ever ask for or expect to receive per hour pay for a painting. Art work is only of real value to the seller and buyer. So there is no way you could ever gage the art on a per hour basis.

Example: If I sell a painting for $400.00 and it took me four hours to paint does that mean I charge $100.00 an hour?What if I can only get $40.00 for the painting? It's still the same painting. So how do I gage it's per hour value? You really can't. What if I sell it for $400.00 and it's value goes up to $4,000 after I've sold it? I didn't get a $1,000 an hour for painting it.

By the way, I've painted houses and I paint on canvas, so I've had plenty of experience in both areas.

Answer 2

Well it depends on several factors. First, I assume you mean a fine art painter not, say a house painter.

Fine Art painters do not get paid hourly but rather by the painting. Then it comes down to how well known they are.
I sell my paintings for between $500 and $2000. However, I am not particularly well know nor is painting my primary art form. You must also realize that all but the most famous artists make more art than they sell.

If you mean house painters I would say between $12 to $20 an hour depending on location and skill and even then only house painters who work for a company can expect to earn hourly wages. You can earn more if you are working for yourself but it then you are paid by job not hourly.

Answer 3

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RE:
How much does a professional painter get paid per hour?
just wondering?

Answer 4

As a professional painter (25yrs exp) I bace my price on $35.00 an hr

Answer 5

not nearly enough for either fine art or house-type painting