Painters in the El Centro area earn a median of $57,240 a year, 20% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #63 of 359 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Los Angeles, but less in San Diego.
It's one of 25 California metros with published pay for this trade; see painter pay in California.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for painters here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (18.9%) and the population is growing slowly (+1.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 142 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $39,690 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $72/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
El Centro scorecard for painters Our calculation
Grades compare El Centro with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($47,640).
Pay over time
The median pay for painters in the El Centro area went from $57,000 in 2020 to $57,240 in 2025, up 0.4%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -19.9% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among painters in El Centro.
What the pay is really worth in El Centro Our calculation
Prices in El Centro run 5% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $60,142 would in a typical place, ranking #29 of 355 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What painters do
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.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
- Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
- Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
- Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
- Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, painter jobs are projected to grow 3.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 24,900 openings a year. About 31% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often painters deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for painters.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for painters vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
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.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HanfordCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,800 | $62,788 | 40 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $63,600 | $55,011 | 5,310 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,790 | $58,255 | 730 |
| Santa CruzCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,400 | $56,781 | 230 |
| VallejoCALIFORNIA · CA | $62,370 | $57,495 | 410 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,970 | $56,121 | 2,410 |
| NapaCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,400 | $54,552 | 270 |
| SalinasCALIFORNIA · CA | $60,860 | $55,813 | 520 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,510 | $55,789 | 2,410 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,120 | $54,440 | 400 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The El Centro area's unemployment rate was 18.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just painters), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 18.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the El Centro area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 10% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 77% drive alone, 1% take transit and 6% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The El Centro area's population grew 1.0% from 2020 to 2025 (179,532 → 181,411), ranking #249 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -2,745).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in El Centro
The El Centro area has about 59,001 homes. 39% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 13% were built in 2010 or later. 60% of households own their home, and the median home value is $352,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in El Centro are down 56% from 2021 to 2025 (555 → 242).
In 2025 the El Centro area approved permits for 242 new homes (224 single-family), or 1.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #342 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 142 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $39,690 a year in revenue before expenses. See how El Centro compares among the best cities to start a painter business.
They compete with 9 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 119 workers in total). 67% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Licensed contractors
The El Centro area has 7 active C-33 Painting contractor licenses, about 0.4 per 10,000 residents (#25 of 25 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in El Centro Government data
In an average year, El Centro has 180 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 117 at 100°F or more, 1 night below freezing (typical 90) and 6 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 106°F and winter nights 44°F. That matters for painters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, El Centro 2 Ssw, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $57,240 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get painter pricing & estimate templates →Compare El Centro with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for paintersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in El CentroSee where it falls among local painters, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolEl Centro budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the El Centro metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank El Centro against every other metro for painters. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.