Best cities for a painter
The best cities for painters are Milwaukee, WI, Stockton, CA, and Anaheim, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for painters vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for painters in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a painter or considering a move, this list of the best cities for painters to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for painters. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a painter. While the absolute best city for painters is Milwaukee, WI, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for painters in 2024.
If you're looking for a painter job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for painters in 2026
1. Milwaukee, WI
Painter jobs in MilwaukeeTotal painter jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $44,424 Lowest 10 percent warn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location quotient: 2.77 2. Stockton, CA
Total painter jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $58,484 Lowest 10 percent warn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location quotient: 1.96 3. Anaheim, CA
Painter jobs in AnaheimTotal painter jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $52,717 Lowest 10 percent warn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location quotient: 2.35 4. Saint Paul, MN
Painter jobs in Saint PaulTotal painter jobs: 26 Average annual salary: $47,230 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location quotient: 1.35 5. Cleveland, OH
Painter jobs in ClevelandTotal painter jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $42,605 Lowest 10 percent warn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location quotient: 1.19 6. Chula Vista, CA
Total painter jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $51,926 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location quotient: 6.21 7. Minneapolis, MN
Painter jobs in MinneapolisTotal painter jobs: 47 Average annual salary: $47,167 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location quotient: 1.24 8. Toledo, OH
Total painter jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $41,603 Lowest 10 percent warn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Location quotient: 1.34 9. Sacramento, CA
Painter jobs in SacramentoTotal painter jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $58,537 Lowest 10 percent warn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location quotient: 0.91 10. Bakersfield, CA
Painter jobs in BakersfieldTotal painter jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $54,171 Lowest 10 percent warn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location quotient: 1.32
Choose from 10+ customizable painter resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use painter resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your painter resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for painters
- Milwaukee, WI
- Stockton, CA
- Anaheim, CA
- Saint Paul, MN
- Cleveland, OH
- Chula Vista, CA
- Minneapolis, MN
- Toledo, OH
- Sacramento, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- (55 painter jobs)
- (7 painter jobs)
- (12 painter jobs)
- (26 painter jobs)
- (19 painter jobs)
- (9 painter jobs)
- (47 painter jobs)
- (6 painter jobs)
- (19 painter jobs)
- (6 painter jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a painter
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee, WI | $44,424 | $31,000 | 595,047 | 55 |
| 2 | Stockton, CA | $58,484 | $37,000 | 307,072 | 7 |
| 3 | Anaheim, CA | $52,717 | $35,000 | 351,043 | 12 |
| 4 | Saint Paul, MN | $47,230 | $34,000 | 302,398 | 26 |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | $42,605 | $29,000 | 385,809 | 19 |
| 6 | Chula Vista, CA | $51,926 | $34,000 | 267,172 | 9 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $47,167 | $34,000 | 413,651 | 47 |
| 8 | Toledo, OH | $41,603 | $29,000 | 278,508 | 6 |
| 9 | Sacramento, CA | $58,537 | $37,000 | 495,234 | 19 |
| 10 | Bakersfield, CA | $54,171 | $35,000 | 376,380 | 6 |
| 11 | Pittsburgh, PA | $43,904 | $30,000 | 303,625 | 30 |
| 12 | Madison, WI | $43,828 | $31,000 | 252,551 | 19 |
| 13 | Buffalo, NY | $49,373 | $33,000 | 256,902 | 19 |
| 14 | Gilbert, AZ | $41,028 | $28,000 | 237,133 | 5 |
| 15 | Lexington, KY | $37,789 | $26,000 | 318,449 | 18 |
| 16 | Long Beach, CA | $52,803 | $35,000 | 470,130 | 7 |
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | $40,423 | $28,000 | 298,800 | 21 |
| 18 | Fort Wayne, IN | $39,910 | $28,000 | 264,488 | 7 |
| 19 | Riverside, CA | $52,522 | $35,000 | 324,722 | 7 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $44,853 | $32,000 | 481,420 | 25 |
| 21 | Henderson, NV | $41,137 | $27,000 | 292,969 | 4 |
| 22 | Tulsa, OK | $37,374 | $26,000 | 403,090 | 33 |
| 23 | Oakland, CA | $59,280 | $37,000 | 420,005 | 5 |
| 24 | Virginia Beach, VA | $44,307 | $29,000 | 452,602 | 15 |
| 25 | Tucson, AZ | $40,821 | $27,000 | 530,706 | 21 |
| 26 | Corpus Christi, TX | $36,605 | $24,000 | 325,733 | 10 |
| 27 | Wichita, KS | $36,442 | $25,000 | 389,902 | 22 |
| 28 | Fresno, CA | $56,060 | $36,000 | 522,053 | 4 |
| 29 | Reno, NV | $44,300 | $28,000 | 245,255 | 5 |
| 30 | Philadelphia, PA | $46,612 | $31,000 | 1,567,872 | 20 |
| 31 | Boston, MA | $55,612 | $38,000 | 673,184 | 22 |
| 32 | Fort Worth, TX | $36,986 | $24,000 | 854,113 | 30 |
| 33 | Arlington, TX | $36,977 | $24,000 | 392,772 | 8 |
| 34 | Newark, NJ | $56,679 | $38,000 | 281,764 | 3 |
| 35 | Norfolk, VA | $44,137 | $29,000 | 245,115 | 11 |
| 36 | Saint Louis, MO | $45,945 | $32,000 | 311,404 | 17 |
| 37 | Jersey City, NJ | $56,703 | $38,000 | 264,152 | 4 |
| 38 | Irvine, CA | $52,578 | $35,000 | 266,122 | 16 |
| 39 | Columbus, OH | $41,477 | $28,000 | 860,090 | 18 |
| 40 | San Jose, CA | $58,597 | $37,000 | 1,025,350 | 12 |
| 41 | Winston-Salem, NC | $35,494 | $24,000 | 242,203 | 10 |
| 42 | San Diego, CA | $52,011 | $34,000 | 1,406,630 | 44 |
| 43 | Omaha, NE | $36,888 | $26,000 | 446,970 | 28 |
| 44 | San Francisco, CA | $59,478 | $37,000 | 870,887 | 4 |
| 45 | Fremont, CA | $58,868 | $37,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 46 | Oklahoma City, OK | $37,740 | $26,000 | 638,367 | 22 |
| 47 | New York, NY | $52,312 | $35,000 | 8,537,673 | 55 |
| 48 | Chicago, IL | $48,947 | $34,000 | 2,704,958 | 10 |
| 49 | Los Angeles, CA | $53,057 | $35,000 | 3,976,322 | 32 |
| 50 | Memphis, TN | $38,429 | $26,000 | 652,717 | 12 |
Highest paying cities for painters
| Rank | City | Avg. painter salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $58,537 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $55,612 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $52,312 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $48,947 |
| 5 | Saint Paul, MN | $47,230 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $46,612 |
| 7 | Saint Louis, MO | $45,945 |
| 8 | Tacoma, WA | $44,806 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $44,502 |
| 10 | Portland, ME | $44,434 |
| 11 | Milwaukee, WI | $44,424 |
| 12 | Virginia Beach, VA | $44,307 |
| 13 | Madison, AL | $41,244 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $41,083 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $40,946 |
| 16 | Grand Rapids, MI | $40,520 |
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | $40,423 |
| 18 | Aurora, CO | $40,003 |
| 19 | Portland, OR | $39,595 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $39,175 |
Painter best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction questions.
Search for painter jobs
Updated January 8, 2025