Painters in the Indianapolis area earn a median of $50,900 a year, 7% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #103 of 359 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Columbus and Bloomington, but less in Muncie.
Indianapolis scorecard for painters Our calculation
Grades compare Indianapolis 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Indianapolis Our calculation
Prices in Indianapolis run 4% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $53,189 would in a typical place, ranking #116 of 355 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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 IN metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColumbusINDIANA · IN | $58,560 | $62,966 | 40 |
| EvansvilleINDIANA · IN | $54,400 | $59,435 | 250 |
| BloomingtonINDIANA · IN | $53,240 | $55,993 | 90 |
| IndianapolisINDIANA · IN | $50,900 | $53,189 | 1,250 |
| Michigan CityINDIANA · IN | $49,430 | $53,915 | 40 |
| MuncieINDIANA · IN | $49,400 | $56,042 | 40 |
| Fort WayneINDIANA · IN | $49,130 | $53,072 | 200 |
| South BendINDIANA · IN | $48,830 | $52,586 | 170 |
| ElkhartINDIANA · IN | $48,040 | $53,186 | 130 |
| LafayetteINDIANA · IN | $46,000 | $49,235 | 130 |
See every metro in Indiana.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Indianapolis area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just painters), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.8% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Indianapolis area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 75% drive alone, 1% take transit and 14% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in Indianapolis are down 15% from 2021 to 2025 (13,451 → 11,463).
In 2025 the Indianapolis area approved permits for 11,463 new homes (9,322 single-family), or 5.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking #121 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 4,214 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $73,632 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 745 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 6,286 workers in total). 64% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $50,900 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
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 Indianapolis with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.