Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency.
Median pay ranges from $23,180 to $84,370 depending on the metro. Most people train through: moderate-term on-the-job training. Job growth and openings are national figures.
Nationally, painters have 124 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
Find the best city for painters based on what matters to you →
Highest-paying metros
Best real pay after local prices
What the median buys once each metro's price level is factored in.
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate