SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency. Excludes “Paperhangers” (47-2142).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-2141.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $37,440 | $3,120 | $720 | $18.00 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $44,640 | $3,720 | $858 | $21.46 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $49,400 | $4,117 | $950 | $23.75 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $61,660 | $5,138 | $1,186 | $29.65 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $78,810 | $6,568 | $1,516 | $37.89 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Painters, Construction and Maintenance is $49,400, which is 3% lower. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 46 by median pay. With 225,190 jobs, it makes up about 14 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($55,420) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Painters, Construction and Maintenance pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($68,220), Illinois ($61,260) and Alaska ($60,980). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($24,070), Guam ($32,960) and Arkansas ($40,090). The most jobs were in California (38,430), Florida (22,450) and Texas (18,330). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 3.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 1,900 | $68,220 | $71,310 | $32.80 |
| Illinois | 6,820 | $61,260 | $69,630 | $29.45 |
| Alaska | 440 | $60,980 | $64,220 | $29.32 |
| Washington | 9,510 | $59,650 | $60,910 | $28.68 |
| New York | 13,040 | $59,570 | $68,070 | $28.64 |
| District of Columbia | 500 | $59,520 | $62,240 | $28.61 |
| Maine | 2,120 | $59,270 | $60,230 | $28.50 |
| New Jersey | 4,110 | $59,250 | $61,000 | $28.49 |
| California | 38,430 | $59,020 | $62,460 | $28.38 |
| Delaware | 480 | $58,530 | $56,890 | $28.14 |
| Connecticut | 2,230 | $58,480 | $63,500 | $28.12 |
| Montana | 920 | $58,290 | $54,700 | $28.03 |
| Massachusetts | 4,430 | $57,510 | $64,080 | $27.65 |
| Missouri | 3,980 | $57,510 | $59,450 | $27.65 |
| Minnesota | 3,810 | $57,270 | $58,170 | $27.54 |
| Nevada | 4,120 | $56,390 | $59,610 | $27.11 |
| North Dakota | 420 | $54,870 | $55,960 | $26.38 |
| Vermont | 550 | $53,120 | $54,890 | $25.54 |
| Colorado | 3,480 | $52,970 | $56,370 | $25.47 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,980 | $52,120 | $54,230 | $25.06 |
| Michigan | 4,920 | $50,650 | $55,920 | $24.35 |
| Indiana | 3,510 | $50,260 | $53,000 | $24.16 |
| Wisconsin | 3,350 | $50,090 | $54,170 | $24.08 |
| Iowa | 1,770 | $49,710 | $52,070 | $23.90 |
| New Hampshire | 910 | $49,670 | $52,730 | $23.88 |
| Ohio | 5,600 | $49,450 | $54,510 | $23.77 |
| Maryland | 3,750 | $49,120 | $55,650 | $23.62 |
| Oregon | 5,410 | $48,900 | $53,570 | $23.51 |
| Georgia | 2,760 | $48,340 | $50,550 | $23.24 |
| Arizona | 5,210 | $48,250 | $52,480 | $23.20 |
| South Dakota | 670 | $48,160 | $47,710 | $23.15 |
| Kentucky | 1,390 | $48,110 | $51,420 | $23.13 |
| Florida | 22,450 | $47,530 | $48,440 | $22.85 |
| Virginia | 5,930 | $47,470 | $49,110 | $22.82 |
| Nebraska | 1,590 | $47,280 | $46,590 | $22.73 |
| Wyoming | 480 | $47,220 | $47,620 | $22.70 |
| Louisiana | 4,090 | $46,410 | $46,030 | $22.31 |
| New Mexico | 1,010 | $46,240 | $49,380 | $22.23 |
| Utah | 3,510 | $46,050 | $47,690 | $22.14 |
| Kansas | 1,570 | $45,510 | $45,450 | $21.88 |
| Texas | 18,330 | $45,460 | $46,020 | $21.86 |
| Oklahoma | 1,880 | $44,900 | $45,450 | $21.59 |
| Idaho | 2,040 | $44,880 | $45,490 | $21.58 |
| Mississippi | 1,060 | $44,800 | $46,450 | $21.54 |
| West Virginia | 720 | $44,230 | $44,770 | $21.26 |
| North Carolina | 5,220 | $44,110 | $44,900 | $21.21 |
| Alabama | 1,570 | $43,930 | $44,720 | $21.12 |
| Tennessee | 3,040 | $43,230 | $44,590 | $20.78 |
| Virgin Islands | 40 | $42,520 | $40,180 | $20.44 |
| Rhode Island | 1,160 | $41,590 | $48,150 | $20.00 |
| South Carolina | 2,080 | $40,840 | $42,050 | $19.64 |
| Arkansas | 890 | $40,090 | $42,180 | $19.28 |
| Guam | 330 | $32,960 | $34,740 | $15.85 |
| Puerto Rico | 600 | $24,070 | $27,830 | $11.57 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers$49,910 a year
- Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners$49,880 a year
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450 a year
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall$49,120 a year
- Pipelayers$49,000 a year
- Rock Splitters, Quarry$48,740 a year
Common questions
How much do Painters, Construction and Maintenance earn in the United States?
The median pay was $49,400 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,440 and the highest-paid 10% more than $78,810.
How many people work as Painters, Construction and Maintenance?
About 225,190 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.