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Job outlook for painters in the United States
Painter job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected painter job growth rate is 1% from 2018-2028.
About 4,900 new jobs for painters are projected over the next decade.
Painter salaries have increased 12% for painters in the last 5 years.
There are over 206,202 painters currently employed in the United States.
There are 4,482 active painter job openings in the US.
The average painter salary is $42,339.
Are painter jobs in demand?
Yes, painter jobs are in demand. Painter demand is projected to grow 1% from 2018 to 2028.
Painter job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of painter jobs and the average painter salary over time.
Painter jobs over time
Painter job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 206,202 | 0.06% |
| 2020 | 209,190 | 0.06% |
| 2019 | 223,223 | 0.07% |
| 2018 | 218,923 | 0.07% |
| 2017 | 211,939 | 0.06% |
Average painter salary over time
Painter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $42,339 | $20.36 | +4.6% |
| 2025 | $40,480 | $19.46 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $39,133 | $18.81 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $38,148 | $18.34 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $37,757 | $18.15 | +2.7% |
Painter jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of painter job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where painters earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for painters
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 90 | 2% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 50 | 2% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 13 | 2% |
| 4 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 93 | 1% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 91 | 1% |
| 6 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 56 | 1% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 52 | 1% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 51 | 1% |
| 9 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 51 | 1% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 41 | 1% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 38 | 1% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 29 | 1% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 23 | 1% |
| 14 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 15 | 1% |
| 15 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 12 | 1% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 12 | 1% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 9 | 1% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 7 | 1% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 6 | 1% |
| 20 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 6 | 1% |
Most common cities for painters
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 6 | 9% | $44,434 |
| 2 | Wichita | 13 | 3% | $36,442 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 10 | 3% | $43,904 |
| 4 | Orlando | 9 | 3% | $37,549 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 11 | 2% | $40,946 |
| 6 | Sacramento | 11 | 2% | $58,537 |
| 7 | Tucson | 8 | 2% | $40,821 |
| 8 | Minneapolis | 7 | 2% | $47,167 |
| 9 | New Orleans | 7 | 2% | $39,485 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 6 | 2% | $40,423 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 12 | 1% | $41,083 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 9 | 1% | $44,502 |
| 13 | Boston | 7 | 1% | $55,612 |
| 14 | Seattle | 7 | 1% | $44,491 |
| 15 | Indianapolis | 6 | 1% | $39,175 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | 6 | 1% | $37,103 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 10 | 0% | $53,057 |
| 18 | Houston | 7 | 0% | $36,874 |
| 19 | San Diego | 7 | 0% | $52,011 |