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Paint technician salary
Average paint technician salary
$37,602
Average Paint Technician Salary
As of October 2025, the average annual salary for a Paint Technician stands at $37,602, translating to roughly $18 per hour. The compensation range typically varies based on geographic location and the technician's level of experience. For instance, entry-level positions may earn less, while those with several years in the field can command higher wages.
Salary by State
Different states offer varying salaries for paint technicians. For example, states with a higher cost of living generally provide better compensation. Below are some examples:
- California: $45,000
- Texas: $35,000
- New York: $40,000
Experience Levels
Entry-level paint technicians often start at lower salaries, while those with advanced skills or specialized training can earn significantly more. The potential for salary advancement exists as technicians gain experience and expertise in their field.
Conclusion
Understanding the salary landscape for paint technicians is crucial for job seekers. With the right information, individuals can better position themselves in the job market, ensuring they pursue opportunities that align with their salary expectations.
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Where can a Paint Technician earn more?
Paint technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level paint technician | $28,700 | $13.79 |
| Mid-level paint technician | $35,600 | $17.11 |
| Senior-level paint technician | $46,400 | $22.29 |
Paint technician salary estimates from across the web
Average paint technician salary by state
The average paint technician salary in California, Maine, and Illinois are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average paint technician salary states are New Mexico, Virginia, and Ohio.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for paint technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $46,514 | $22.36 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | $43,260 | $20.80 |
| 3 | Illinois | $45,622 | $21.93 |
| 4 | Alaska | $41,644 | $20.02 |
| 5 | Vermont | $40,391 | $19.42 |
| 6 | Colorado | $41,991 | $20.19 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $42,743 | $20.55 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $44,712 | $21.50 |
| 9 | Utah | $38,870 | $18.69 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $41,304 | $19.86 |
| 11 | Washington | $45,025 | $21.65 |
| 12 | Nevada | $39,773 | $19.12 |
| 13 | Idaho | $43,404 | $20.87 |
| 14 | California | $47,760 | $22.96 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $39,721 | $19.10 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $39,143 | $18.82 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $39,333 | $18.91 |
| 18 | Michigan | $38,823 | $18.66 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $37,065 | $17.82 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $40,150 | $19.30 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $35,699 | $17.16 |
| 22 | Delaware | $38,636 | $18.57 |
| 23 | Texas | $38,349 | $18.44 |
| 24 | Iowa | $35,326 | $16.98 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $37,407 | $17.98 |
| 26 | New York | $36,920 | $17.75 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $37,303 | $17.93 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $34,956 | $16.81 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $34,364 | $16.52 |
| 30 | Kansas | $34,712 | $16.69 |
| 31 | Georgia | $35,534 | $17.08 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $34,806 | $16.73 |
| 33 | Alabama | $35,214 | $16.93 |
| 34 | Missouri | $34,610 | $16.64 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $34,429 | $16.55 |
| 36 | Montana | $35,385 | $17.01 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $32,924 | $15.83 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $34,453 | $16.56 |
| 39 | Oregon | $35,012 | $16.83 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $34,070 | $16.38 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $37,525 | $18.04 |
| 42 | Indiana | $32,672 | $15.71 |
| 43 | Maryland | $34,165 | $16.43 |
| 44 | Florida | $31,294 | $15.05 |
| 45 | Arizona | $32,973 | $15.85 |
| 46 | Ohio | $32,304 | $15.53 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $32,657 | $15.70 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $32,022 | $15.40 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $32,738 | $15.74 |
| 50 | Virginia | $32,635 | $15.69 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $31,463 | $15.13 |
Highest paying cities for paint technicians
The highest-paying cities for paint technicians are Santa Clarita, CA, Bellevue, WA, and Boulder, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clarita, CA | $47,463 | $22.82 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $45,175 | $21.72 |
| 3 | Boulder, CO | $42,086 | $20.23 |
| 4 | Milford, MA | $40,000 | $19.23 |
| 5 | El Paso, TX | $39,479 | $18.98 |
| 6 | Missoula, MT | $35,574 | $17.10 |
| 7 | Alpharetta, GA | $35,560 | $17.10 |
| 8 | Huntsville, AL | $35,274 | $16.96 |
| 9 | Iowa City, IA | $35,226 | $16.94 |
| 10 | Salem, OR | $35,040 | $16.85 |
| 11 | Mentor, OH | $33,452 | $16.08 |
| 12 | Tucson, AZ | $32,837 | $15.79 |
| 13 | Mechanicsville, VA | $32,600 | $15.67 |
| 14 | Sarasota, FL | $31,364 | $15.08 |
Paint technician salary details
A paint technician's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $48,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a paint technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| Average | $37,602 | $3,134 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying paint technician jobs
The highest paying types of paint technicians are body builder apprentice, body shop worker, and body mechanic.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Shop Technician | $42,116 | $3,510 | $20.25 | 40,107 |
| Auto Body Technician | $39,232 | $3,269 | $18.86 | 17,467 |
| Body Technician | $39,798 | $3,316 | $19.13 | 29,460 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
Top companies hiring paint technicians now:
Which companies pay paint technicians the most?
Paint technician salaries at Ball and Northrop Grumman are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average paint technician salary at companies like Comtech Telecommunications and Chris-Craft are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball | $44,495 | $21.39 |
| 2 | Northrop Grumman | $43,135 | $20.74 |
| 3 | Comtech Telecommunications | $42,178 | $20.28 |
| 4 | Chris-Craft | $41,834 | $20.11 |
| 5 | ARA | $41,821 | $20.11 |
| 6 | Siemens | $41,534 | $19.97 |
| 7 | BELFOR Franchise Group | $41,315 | $19.86 |
| 8 | Airgas | $41,030 | $19.73 |
| 9 | Greif | $40,946 | $19.69 |
| 10 | SpaceX | $40,371 | $19.41 |
| 11 | Belcan | $40,361 | $19.40 |
| 12 | SPX | $40,348 | $19.40 |
| 13 | Safe Fleet | $39,948 | $19.21 |
| 14 | Wabtec Corporation | $39,735 | $19.10 |
| 15 | Tenneco | $39,569 | $19.02 |
| 16 | Vishay | $39,258 | $18.87 |
| 17 | Generac Holdings | $39,056 | $18.78 |
| 18 | BELFOR Property Restoration | $38,850 | $18.68 |
| 19 | Continental Auto Group | $38,790 | $18.65 |
| 20 | Hexcel | $38,538 | $18.53 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Paint Technician salary by industry
The average paint technician salary varies across industries:
- The average paint technician salary in the construction industry is $40,312, the highest of any industry.
- The average paint technician salary in the finance industry is $38,173.
- Paint technicians in the retail industry earn an average salary of $34,881, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for paint technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $40,312 | $19.38 |
| 2 | Automotive | $38,173 | $18.35 |
| 3 | Technology | $37,742 | $18.15 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $37,709 | $18.13 |
| 5 | Retail | $34,881 | $16.77 |
High paying paint technician jobs
Paint technician salary trends
The average paint technician salary has risen by $5,945 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average paint technician earned $31,657 annually, but today, they earn $37,602 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for paint technicians over the last decade.
Compare paint technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average paint technician salary over time
Compare paint technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Paint technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $37,600 | $18.08 | +3.9% |
| 2025 | $36,100 | $17.37 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $35,400 | $17.03 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $34,800 | $16.73 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $34,400 | $16.56 | +1.4% |
Recently added paint technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | Painting and Drawing Technician-Temporary | Princeton, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $32,328 |
| Hyatt Hotels Corp | Engineering-Painter/Drywall Tech | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $55,306 |
| Aerotek | Paint Prep Technician | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $38,610 |
| Finn-Kool | Paint Prep Technician | Beloit, KS | 06/25/2025 | $31,305 |
| House Doctors | Handyman/Technician/Painter | Nashua, NH | 06/21/2025 | $45,914 |
| Flory Industries | Paint Technician-Summer Project Based | Salida, CA | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
| AMLI Residential | Floating Make Ready Technician/Painter | Seattle, WA | 06/20/2025 | $51,132 |
| Cox Holdings, Inc. | SR Shop Painter Technician | Hillsborough, NJ | 06/20/2025 | $59,208 |
| Adecco Us, Inc. | Paint Technician | Temple, TX | 06/18/2025 | $50,088 |
| Pete's Tire Barns, Inc. | Powder Coating Paint Technician | Orange, MA | 06/18/2025 | $37,566 |
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