Handyman rates

Handyman rates start from a median wage of $23.84 an hour for general maintenance and repair workers (BLS OEWS May 2025), the nearest occupation BLS surveys. A handyman business charges more than that per hour, and many price small jobs as a flat minimum instead of by the hour.

Lower quarter earns under: $19.64
Median hourly wage: $23.84
Upper quarter earns over: $30.10

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, general maintenance and repair workers, SOC 49-9071, national, 1,529,700 employed.

BLS has no handyman occupation. The closest is general maintenance and repair workers (SOC 49-9071), which is the figure used here.

Check your state's rules — some limit handyman electrical and plumbing work.

Maintenance and repair workers in the survey are mostly employed by building owners and property managers, so the wage is a floor for what an independent handyman needs to clear.

How much a handyman should charge an hour

Put in the hourly wage you want to clear, then your payroll costs, overhead and profit. The result is the rate a billed hour needs, before any trip minimum you add on top.

Hourly wage$/hrStarts at the BLS median for general maintenance and repair workers.Payroll costs%Payroll taxes, workers’ comp and benefits, as a share of wages.Overhead%Vehicle, tools, insurance, licensing, office and unbilled hours.Profit%What the business keeps after every cost.

Enter your payroll costs, overhead and profit to see the billed rate your numbers need.

Self-employed handyman hourly rate

A one-person handyman business pays for its own tools, vehicle, liability insurance and the unbilled time between jobs. None of that is in the wage survey, which is why the calculator below asks you for it.

Average handyman hourly rate by state

These are state medians for the same occupation. They move with local wages; a handyman's rate near you also reflects how many small jobs fit in a day.

Highest state medians

District of Columbia$29.00
Alaska$28.97
Minnesota$28.46
Washington$28.44
Massachusetts$28.04

Lowest state medians

West Virginia$18.70
Oklahoma$20.55
Arkansas$20.87
Alabama$20.97
Louisiana$21.13

Comparing handyman quotes

For a handyman quote, ask whether there's a minimum charge and whether materials are billed at cost.

Handymen: start from the 37-job handyman list, priced with the maintenance-worker wage for your ZIP.

Build this free in 2 minutes →

Other trades: Electrician hourly rate · Plumber hourly rate · all trade rates