Painters in the Columbus area earn a median of $40,100 a year, 16% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #325 of 359 metros for painters nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Albany and Macon, but less in Auburn.
It's one of 9 Georgia metros with published pay for this trade; see painter pay in Georgia.
Painter pay in Columbus at a glance
- Painters in the Columbus, GA metro earn a median $40,100 a year ($19.28 an hour), #325 of 359 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $33,280 and $50,850.
- After local prices, that median buys what $44,907 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,047 a month, 31% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among painters in Columbus.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for painters here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.9%) and the population is shrinking (-1.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 568 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $63,952 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $57/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Columbus scorecard for painters Our calculation
Grades compare Columbus 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 Columbus area went from $34,130 in 2020 to $40,100 in 2025, up 17.5%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -6.3% — 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
What the pay is really worth in Columbus Our calculation
Prices in the Columbus area run 11% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $44,907 would in a typical place, ranking #316 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.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Columbus from this pay, local rent and prices.
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 Georgia Official source
The main state licensing office in Georgia is the Georgia Secretary of State (Professional Licensing). Construction Industry Licensing Board and Residential/General Contractors Board. It can point you to the right license for painters.
Official Georgia 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 GA metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlbanyGEORGIA · GA | $61,530 | $70,184 | 70 |
| AtlantaGEORGIA · GA | $49,570 | $49,541 | 1,340 |
| GainesvilleGEORGIA · GA | $47,180 | $48,757 | 50 |
| SavannahGEORGIA · GA | $46,040 | $48,358 | 110 |
| BrunswickGEORGIA · GA | $45,760 | $52,173 | 80 |
| MaconGEORGIA · GA | $45,470 | $51,362 | 40 |
| AugustaGEORGIA · GA | $41,090 | $44,710 | 150 |
| AthensGEORGIA · GA | $41,060 | $43,988 | 50 |
| ColumbusGEORGIA · GA | $40,100 | $44,907 | 90 |
See every metro in Georgia.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Columbus area's unemployment rate was 3.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just painters), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.3% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Columbus area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 73% drive alone, 1% take transit and 11% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Columbus area's population shrank 1.3% from 2020 to 2025 (329,195 → 324,830), ranking #344 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -5,526).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Columbus
The Columbus area has about 148,682 homes. 44% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 16% were built in 2010 or later. 60% of households own their home, and the median home value is $224,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Columbus are down 47% from 2021 to 2025 (1,133 → 605).
In 2025 the Columbus area approved permits for 605 new homes (571 single-family), or 1.9 per 1,000 residents, ranking #301 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 568 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $63,952 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Columbus compares among the best cities to start a painter business.
They compete with 68 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 317 workers in total). 69% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Columbus Government data
In an average year, Columbus has 80 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 3 at 100°F or more, 28 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 72 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 92°F and winter nights 40°F. That matters for painters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Columbus Metro Airport, GA 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 $40,100 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. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 Columbus 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 ColumbusSee where it falls among local painters, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolColumbus budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Columbus 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 Columbus against every other metro for painters. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.