Key takeaways:
Here’s what you need to know about how much house painters make in the U.S. for 2025 and what affects their earnings.
- Typical salary ranges from $36,680 to $76,550 annually. The national median salary is around $48,660, but actual pay varies based on experience, location, and project type.
- Earnings break down to hourly, weekly, and monthly averages. A median salary translates to about $23.40 per hour, $935 per week, and $4,055 per month before taxes—higher if painters work extra hours or take on overtime.
- Location has a major impact on painter income. Cities like Nome, AK, and San Francisco, CA, and states like Washington and New York offer some of the highest painter salaries due to demand and cost of living.
- Other benefits go beyond salary. Many painting jobs come with perks such as medical insurance, retirement plans, paid leave, and opportunities for advancement into leadership or management roles.
- Several factors influence earning potential. Experience, job title, specialization, employer size, and overtime work all play a role. Business owners can earn even more, especially as their companies grow and take on larger projects or subcontract work.
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The average salary for a house painter in the U.S. falls between $36,680 and $76,550. The exact amount depends on factors like experience, location, and the type of work being performed, like interior painting or exterior painting.
Considering a career in house painting? Let’s take a look at what painters earn, what factors affect their income, and how you can increase your earning potential over time.
Breakdown of house painter income
The median annual salary of a house painter is around $48,660 when you’re just starting your career. But as you become more experienced over time, you can expect to make more money on average.
Here’s how much you can expect to make as a professional painter, whether you’re handling interior walls, ceiling projects, or larger exterior paint jobs:
How much do house painters make a year?
The median salary for a house painter in the United States is $48,660, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024).
Most painters earn at least $36,680, while a select few earn over $76,550. The exact amount varies depending on factors like your experience and location, as well as the size of the painting job or the square footage you’re covering.
How much do house painters make in a month?
Let’s say you make the median annual salary of $48,660. As a house painter, you’ll make $4,055 per month before taxes. You can earn more if you work extra hours or raise your prices.
How much do house painters make a week?
If your annual salary is $48,660 and you work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, you’ll earn about $935 before taxes. Your paycheck can vary depending on your hours.
For example, you may need to spend more time on a larger painting project. If you work a 55-hour week and earn time-and-a-half for overtime, your weekly paycheck could be $1,462.
How much do house painters make per hour?
With a salary of $48,660—and assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks a year—your hourly wage is $23.40 before taxes. This amount varies based on the number of hours you work, as well as your actual salary.
House painter salary by location
Compensation for interior painters will vary depending on your location, thanks to local demand and cost of living. We’ve broken down salaries by the top 10 highest-paying U.S. cities and states for painters.
Highest-paying U.S. cities for house painters
These are the top 10 highest-paying cities in the United States for house painters, with hourly, monthly, and annual salaries listed for each:
| City/State | Hourly Wage | Monthly Wage | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nome, AK | $27.16 | $4,707 | $56,492 |
| Mercer Island, WA | $26.81 | $4,647 | $55,774 |
| Berkeley, CA | $26.81 | $4,646 | $55,760 |
| Sitka, AK | $26.38 | $4,571 | $54,861 |
| South San Francisco, CA | $26.31 | $4,560 | $54,724 |
| San Bruno, CA | $26.16 | $4,533 | $54,406 |
| Justin, TX | $25.86 | $4,481 | $53,781 |
| San Francisco, CA | $25.79 | $4,471 | $53,653 |
| Palo Alto, CA | $25.74 | $4,461 | $53,533 |
| Santa Clara, CA | $25.71 | $4,456 | $53,483 |
Source: ZipRecruiter, 2025
There’s higher demand in remote cities like Nome and Sitka because services are in short supply. Other cities like Berkeley and San Francisco have a high cost of living, so painters need a high-paying job to cover expenses.
House painter salary by state
Some states pay better than others if you’re a house painter. Here are the top 10 highest-paying states for residential painters. Washington is top of the list with an annual salary of $51,413.
| State | Hourly Wage | Monthly Wage | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $24.72 | $4,284 | $51,413 |
| Washington, D.C. | $24.66 | $4,274 | $51,296 |
| New York | $23.88 | $4,138 | $49,662 |
| Massachusetts | $23.83 | $4,131 | $49,576 |
| Alaska | $23.50 | $4,073 | $48,887 |
| Vermont | $23.20 | $4,022 | $48,265 |
| North Dakota | $23.09 | $4,002 | $48,030 |
| Oregon | $23.07 | $3,999 | $47,994 |
| Colorado | $22.95 | $3,977 | $47,732 |
| Hawaii | $22.67 | $3,930 | $47,162 |
Source: ZipRecruiter, 2025
Other benefits for house painters
Money isn’t the only compensation for being a house painter. Depending on the painting company you work for, your job can come with extra benefits like:
- Medical insurance, including dental and vision
- Retirement plans and 401(k) options
- Profit sharing
- Employee loyalty programs
- Paid vacation time
- Sick days and personal days
Some companies also offer room to grow your career, letting you work your way up from an interior painter to a crew leader—or potentially even higher.
Factors that affect house painter salaries
There are plenty of factors that can influence a house painter’s annual salary. Understanding these factors can help you understand your potential income and find ways to grow your earnings over time:
- Experience: Painters who are new to the trade usually earn less than those with several years of experience. As you develop your skills and become more efficient, you can expect to make more money.
- Job title: While you can make good money as a house painter when you’re part of a team, you’ll earn more as a crew leader or site manager.
- Employer: Your salary will likely be higher if you work for a large construction company rather than a small local painting business. Independent contractors can charge more, but those higher rates account for labor costs, paint cost, painting equipment, and other expenses.
- Location: Painter salaries vary by state and city. Areas with higher living costs, like New York, typically offer higher wages to attract and keep workers. That’s also true for remote areas where there aren’t enough service providers to meet demand.
- Specialization: Painters who take on more complex projects—like decorative finishes or remediation—can charge higher rates than those who only offer basic house painting.
- Overtime: The more hours you work, the more money you’ll make. Overtime should pay out at 1.5x your hourly rate, making it very profitable to put in extra time.
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Income potential for painting business owners
Want to earn even more as a residential painter? Consider starting a painting business.
As a painting business owner, you could earn up to $97,500 to $202,500 a year, assuming the company makes $750,000 a year with a net profit of 13–27%.
You can make even more money when you start to subcontract painting jobs, win more painting contracts, and grow your company.
Build and scale your business with painting software like Jobber. It helps you schedule work, manage your team, organize job details, send quotes, invoice homeowners, and get paid.
Ready to become a house painter?
Residential painting provides a long-term career in an in-demand industry. With time and effort, you can move up from basic painting jobs to leading a crew, managing projects, or even starting your own business. And as you gain experience, your paycheck will grow, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You’ll likely make between $17.63 and $36.80 an hour (before taxes) as a residential painter. That’s assuming you work 40 hours every week, 52 weeks a year. Your actual hourly rate will vary depending on your schedule and annual salary.
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A house painter in the U.S. can expect to make between $36,680 and $76,550, with the national median being around $48,660. Your salary will vary depending on factors like your location and experience level.
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Some states offer lower salaries than others, often due to low demand or simply a low cost of living. The lowest-paying states for house painters are:
• Florida: $33,922
• West Virginia: $35,142
• Arkansas: $37,536
• Georgia: $38,330
• Louisiana: $38,817 -
The top 5 highest-paying states in the U.S. for residential painters are:
• Washington: $51,413
• Washington, D.C.: $51,296
• New York: $49,662
• Massachusetts: $49,576
• Alaska: $48,887
Location isn’t the only factor that affects your annual salary. Depending on your experience level, job title, and employer, you could make over $100,000 a year as a house painter.