Painters, Construction and Maintenance Salary
The median pay for a painters, construction and maintenance in Alabama is $43,930/year ($21.12/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $49,717 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,085/month, about 36.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in Alabama?
About painters, construction and maintenances
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for painters, construction and maintenance in Alabama runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,085/month, which is 36.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for painters, construction and maintenances.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level painters, construction and maintenances (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Painters, Construction and Maintenance salary by metro in Alabama
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston-Oxford | $61K | +40% | 70 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $48K | +10% | 80 |
| Mobile | $46K | +6% | 230 |
| Tuscaloosa | $46K | +5% | 90 |
| Huntsville | $46K | +4% | 130 |
| Birmingham | $45K | +1% | 380 |
| Dothan | $44K | -0% | 70 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $43K | -1% | 120 |
| Montgomery | $41K | -8% | 60 |
| Auburn-Opelika | $39K | -12% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track painters, construction and maintenance salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a painters, construction and maintenance afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 36.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for painters, construction and maintenances in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new painters, construction and maintenances typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,051/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is painters, construction and maintenance a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $44K here vs. $49K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for painters, construction and maintenances?
Alabama pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do painters, construction and maintenances make in Alabama?
The median is $43,930 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,190, and experienced painters, construction and maintenances can clear $57,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,942/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 36.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a painters, construction and maintenance salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median painters, construction and maintenance salary is worth about $49,717 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do painters, construction and maintenances get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.