Painters, Construction and Maintenance
Painters, Construction and Maintenance (SOC 47-2141) earn a median $49,400 a year ($23.75 an hour) in the United States, with 225,190 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What painters, construction and maintenance do
Construction and maintenance painters coat walls, equipment, buildings, bridges and other structures with brushes, rollers and spray guns. Surface preparation comes first: covering floors, windows and fixtures with drop cloths or masking tape and paper, washing and treating surfaces, scraping or sanding old paint and rough spots, filling cracks and holes with caulk, putty or plaster, and applying primers or sealers to bare wood or metal. They then apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel or other finishes, following work orders or instructions from supervisors or homeowners, and may mix colors or oils to get the right color or consistency. Scaffolding, swing gates and ladders are used to reach work above ground level. Wallpaper hanging belongs to paperhangers (47-2142), which the SOC definition lists as an exclusion.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Architectural Coating Finisher, Bitumastic Applier, Bridge Painter, Brush Painter, Building Painter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.00 | $21.46 | $23.75 | $29.65 | $37.89 | $26.64 | 225,190 |
| Annual | $37,440 | $44,640 | $49,400 | $61,660 | $78,810 | $55,420 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where painters, construction and maintenance earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $22.64 | $28.59 | $32.80 | $41.00 | $43.67 | $34.28 | 1,900 | 3.03 | 2.09 |
| Annual | $47,090 | $59,480 | $68,220 | $85,280 | $90,830 | $71,310 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $19.63 | $23.07 | $29.45 | $44.82 | $50.65 | $33.48 | 6,820 | 1.12 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $40,820 | $47,990 | $61,260 | $93,220 | $105,350 | $69,630 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $21.09 | $26.30 | $29.32 | $35.85 | $41.08 | $30.87 | 440 | 1.36 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $43,880 | $54,710 | $60,980 | $74,570 | $85,440 | $64,220 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.85 | $23.53 | $28.68 | $31.32 | $38.62 | $29.28 | 9,510 | 2.68 | 1.85 |
| Annual | $45,450 | $48,940 | $59,650 | $65,140 | $80,330 | $60,910 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $21.95 | $23.47 | $28.64 | $38.14 | $53.63 | $32.72 | 13,040 | 1.35 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $45,660 | $48,820 | $59,570 | $79,320 | $111,550 | $68,070 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $20.26 | $22.85 | $28.38 | $35.11 | $43.75 | $30.03 | 38,430 | 2.11 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $42,130 | $47,520 | $59,020 | $73,040 | $91,000 | $62,460 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.65 | $19.20 | $22.85 | $24.10 | $29.47 | $23.29 | 22,450 | 2.26 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $36,700 | $39,940 | $47,530 | $50,130 | $61,300 | $48,440 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.25 | $18.78 | $21.86 | $23.74 | $28.32 | $22.13 | 18,330 | 1.30 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $35,870 | $39,070 | $45,460 | $49,390 | $58,910 | $46,020 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $21.95 | $23.47 | $28.64 | $38.14 | $53.63 | $32.72 | 13,040 | 1.35 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $45,660 | $48,820 | $59,570 | $79,320 | $111,550 | $68,070 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.85 | $23.53 | $28.68 | $31.32 | $38.62 | $29.28 | 9,510 | 2.68 | 1.85 |
| Annual | $45,450 | $48,940 | $59,650 | $65,140 | $80,330 | $60,910 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | Hourly | $20.30 | $26.56 | $40.56 | $41.65 | $45.96 | $35.33 | 160 | 1.54 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $42,210 | $55,240 | $84,370 | $86,620 | $95,590 | $73,490 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $24.50 | $30.92 | $35.41 | $40.24 | $47.89 | $36.62 | 180 | 2.40 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $50,950 | $64,310 | $73,650 | $83,700 | $99,600 | $76,180 | ||||
| Rockford, IL | Hourly | $20.30 | $26.10 | $34.95 | $45.67 | $47.47 | $35.02 | 130 | 0.96 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $42,220 | $54,300 | $72,700 | $95,000 | $98,740 | $72,850 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $22.48 | $28.45 | $31.81 | $41.00 | $43.40 | $33.92 | 1,390 | 3.11 | 2.14 |
| Annual | $46,770 | $59,170 | $66,160 | $85,280 | $90,270 | $70,560 | ||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | $23.78 | $27.77 | $31.29 | $38.62 | $44.39 | $32.71 | 810 | 8.60 | 5.94 |
| Annual | $49,450 | $57,760 | $65,080 | $80,330 | $92,330 | $68,030 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.26 | $22.85 | $28.41 | $33.00 | $40.93 | $29.71 | 12,100 | 1.93 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $42,130 | $47,530 | $59,080 | $68,640 | $85,130 | $61,800 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $21.83 | $24.46 | $29.53 | $39.94 | $53.63 | $33.62 | 11,930 | 1.26 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $45,400 | $50,880 | $61,420 | $83,060 | $111,550 | $69,930 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $18.19 | $19.38 | $23.31 | $27.26 | $31.55 | $24.33 | 6,210 | 2.20 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $37,830 | $40,300 | $48,490 | $56,700 | $65,630 | $50,610 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $21.42 | $23.54 | $29.68 | $46.08 | $52.80 | $34.00 | 5,480 | 1.21 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $44,560 | $48,970 | $61,740 | $95,850 | $109,820 | $70,720 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $23.11 | $27.13 | $30.58 | $37.68 | $48.34 | $33.91 | 5,310 | 2.24 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $48,060 | $56,430 | $63,600 | $78,370 | $100,550 | $70,530 | ||||
Top industries employing painters, construction and maintenance
Building Finishing Contractors employ 65.7% of painters, construction and maintenance nationally (148,030 jobs) at a median $48,810 a year ($23.47 an hour), followed by Residential Building Construction (7.3%) and Nonresidential Building Construction (3.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 148,030 | 65.7% | $48,810 | $23.47 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 16,410 | 7.3% | $52,000 | $25.00 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 6,670 | 3.0% | $49,980 | $24.03 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 6,220 | 2.8% | $48,530 | $23.33 |
| Real Estate NAICS 531000 | 5,690 | 2.5% | $48,520 | $23.33 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (225,190). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $45,590 for painters, construction and maintenance in May 2021 and $49,400 in May 2025, with employment of 214,220 and 225,190.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $45,590 | $21.92 | 214,220 |
| May 2022 | $46,090 | $22.16 | 215,680 |
| May 2023 | $47,700 | $22.94 | 215,910 |
| May 2024 | $48,660 | $23.40 | 224,180 |
| May 2025 | $49,400 | $23.75 | 225,190 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $32.80 | $68,220 | $47,090 | $90,830 | 1,900 | 3.03 | 2.09 |
| 2 | Illinois profile | $29.45 | $61,260 | $40,820 | $105,350 | 6,820 | 1.12 | 0.77 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $29.32 | $60,980 | $43,880 | $85,440 | 440 | 1.36 | 0.94 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $28.68 | $59,650 | $45,450 | $80,330 | 9,510 | 2.68 | 1.85 |
| 5 | New York profile | $28.64 | $59,570 | $45,660 | $111,550 | 13,040 | 1.35 | 0.93 |
| 6 | District of Columbia profile | $28.61 | $59,520 | $46,780 | $81,390 | 500 | 0.72 | 0.49 |
| 7 | Maine profile | $28.50 | $59,270 | $47,320 | $75,530 | 2,120 | 3.31 | 2.29 |
| 8 | New Jersey profile | $28.49 | $59,250 | $37,680 | $95,950 | 4,110 | 0.96 | 0.66 |
| 9 | California profile | $28.38 | $59,020 | $42,130 | $91,000 | 38,430 | 2.11 | 1.46 |
| 10 | Delaware profile | $28.14 | $58,530 | $35,070 | $70,350 | 480 | 0.99 | 0.68 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $28.12 | $58,480 | $40,120 | $92,390 | 2,230 | 1.32 | 0.91 |
| 12 | Montana profile | $28.03 | $58,290 | $35,160 | $69,510 | 920 | 1.80 | 1.24 |
| 13 | Massachusetts profile | $27.65 | $57,510 | $43,520 | $109,850 | 4,430 | 1.22 | 0.84 |
| 14 | Missouri profile | $27.65 | $57,510 | $39,150 | $79,600 | 3,980 | 1.36 | 0.94 |
| 15 | Minnesota profile | $27.54 | $57,270 | $36,460 | $87,970 | 3,810 | 1.29 | 0.89 |
| 16 | Nevada profile | $27.11 | $56,390 | $41,430 | $98,190 | 4,120 | 2.66 | 1.84 |
| 17 | North Dakota profile | $26.38 | $54,870 | $36,840 | $78,290 | 420 | 0.98 | 0.68 |
| 18 | Vermont profile | $25.54 | $53,120 | $48,060 | $64,000 | 550 | 1.83 | 1.26 |
| 19 | Colorado profile | $25.47 | $52,970 | $40,570 | $77,710 | 3,480 | 1.21 | 0.84 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.06 | $52,120 | $37,250 | $72,230 | 5,980 | 0.99 | 0.68 |
| 21 | Michigan profile | $24.35 | $50,650 | $37,440 | $75,670 | 4,920 | 1.12 | 0.77 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $24.16 | $50,260 | $36,410 | $69,520 | 3,510 | 1.10 | 0.76 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $24.08 | $50,090 | $37,870 | $75,040 | 3,350 | 1.14 | 0.79 |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $23.90 | $49,710 | $37,080 | $67,010 | 1,770 | 1.14 | 0.78 |
| 25 | New Hampshire profile | $23.88 | $49,670 | $40,830 | $63,530 | 910 | 1.33 | 0.92 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | $23.77 | $49,450 | $37,060 | $74,400 | 5,600 | 1.01 | 0.70 |
| 27 | Maryland profile | $23.62 | $49,120 | $40,560 | $78,050 | 3,750 | 1.36 | 0.94 |
| 28 | Oregon profile | $23.51 | $48,900 | $38,260 | $73,560 | 5,410 | 2.75 | 1.90 |
| 29 | Georgia profile | $23.24 | $48,340 | $36,690 | $68,060 | 2,760 | 0.57 | 0.39 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | $23.20 | $48,250 | $40,180 | $63,640 | 5,210 | 1.61 | 1.11 |
| 31 | South Dakota profile | $23.15 | $48,160 | $35,900 | $59,560 | 670 | 1.46 | 1.01 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $23.13 | $48,110 | $35,900 | $64,720 | 1,390 | 0.70 | 0.48 |
| 33 | Florida profile | $22.85 | $47,530 | $36,700 | $61,300 | 22,450 | 2.26 | 1.56 |
| 34 | Virginia profile | $22.82 | $47,470 | $36,400 | $63,310 | 5,930 | 1.44 | 1.00 |
| 35 | Nebraska profile | $22.73 | $47,280 | $33,410 | $57,990 | 1,590 | 1.56 | 1.07 |
| 36 | Wyoming profile | $22.70 | $47,220 | $31,360 | $62,580 | 480 | 1.73 | 1.19 |
| 37 | Louisiana profile | $22.31 | $46,410 | $32,000 | $59,330 | 4,090 | 2.12 | 1.46 |
| 38 | New Mexico profile | $22.23 | $46,240 | $37,760 | $70,560 | 1,010 | 1.16 | 0.80 |
| 39 | Utah profile | $22.14 | $46,050 | $36,220 | $65,780 | 3,510 | 2.02 | 1.40 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $21.88 | $45,510 | $33,780 | $58,510 | 1,570 | 1.09 | 0.75 |
| 41 | Texas profile | $21.86 | $45,460 | $35,870 | $58,910 | 18,330 | 1.30 | 0.90 |
| 42 | Oklahoma profile | $21.59 | $44,900 | $30,650 | $67,410 | 1,880 | 1.10 | 0.76 |
| 43 | Idaho profile | $21.58 | $44,880 | $34,390 | $60,890 | 2,040 | 2.38 | 1.64 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $21.54 | $44,800 | $34,530 | $64,720 | 1,060 | 0.91 | 0.63 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | $21.26 | $44,230 | $29,200 | $63,640 | 720 | 1.02 | 0.70 |
| 46 | North Carolina profile | $21.21 | $44,110 | $33,410 | $58,300 | 5,220 | 1.06 | 0.73 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $21.12 | $43,930 | $34,190 | $57,490 | 1,570 | 0.74 | 0.51 |
| 48 | Tennessee profile | $20.78 | $43,230 | $35,110 | $61,030 | 3,040 | 0.93 | 0.64 |
| 49 | Rhode Island profile | $20.00 | $41,590 | $31,200 | $64,410 | 1,160 | 2.32 | 1.60 |
| 50 | South Carolina profile | $19.64 | $40,840 | $27,240 | $57,520 | 2,080 | 0.90 | 0.62 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $19.28 | $40,090 | $31,150 | $54,610 | 890 | 0.69 | 0.47 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-2140), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2141 Painters, Construction and Maintenance.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2141, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2141.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.