Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for painting, coating, and decorating workers in the U.S. is $41,600 ($20.00 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $41,600
- Mean annual wage
- $45,210
- Median hourly wage
- $20.00
- Employment
- 7,940
7,940 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,470 | $15.13 |
| 25th percentile | $37,030 | $17.80 |
| Median (50th) | $41,600 | $20.00 |
| 75th percentile | $50,360 | $24.21 |
| 90th percentile | $60,820 | $29.24 |
Highest-paying states for painting, coating, and decorating workers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $61,210 | 90 |
| Nevada | $60,190 | — |
| Colorado | $54,070 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $54,070 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $52,160 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $50,720 | 50 |
| Ohio | $49,080 | 230 |
| Missouri | $48,560 | 140 |
| New York | $48,510 | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $48,330 | 230 |
Lowest-paying states
- South Dakota: $31,550 median annual wage
- Texas: $32,430 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $33,330 median annual wage
- Montana: $34,790 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $35,540 median annual wage
About this occupation
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
Typical tasks
- Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
- Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
- Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
- Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
- Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 21.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 46.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.5% |
| Associate's degree | 6.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.6% |
| Master's degree | 0.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.