Painters in the Winston area earn a median of $37,950 a year, 20% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #349 of 359 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Greensboro and Burlington.
It's one of 15 North Carolina metros with published pay for this trade; see painters across North Carolina.
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 growing faster than most (+5.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,555 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $62,748 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $55/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Winston scorecard for painters Our calculation
Grades compare Winston 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 Winston area went from $37,550 in 2020 to $37,950 in 2025, up 1.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -19.4% — 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 Winston Our calculation
Prices in Winston run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $41,231 would in a typical place, ranking #350 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.
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 North Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in North Carolina is the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Electrical and plumbing/HVAC have their own state boards. It can point you to the right license for painters.
Official North Carolina 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 NC metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| DurhamNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $46,520 | $47,678 | 260 |
| RaleighNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $45,360 | $46,212 | 810 |
| CharlotteNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $44,900 | $46,123 | 1,370 |
| PinehurstNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $43,590 | $49,346 | 30 |
| AshevilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $42,970 | $44,526 | 210 |
| WilmingtonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $42,850 | $44,440 | 220 |
| GreensboroNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $41,870 | $45,087 | 350 |
| FayettevilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $41,600 | $45,228 | 110 |
| GoldsboroNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $40,470 | $45,748 | 60 |
| Rocky MountNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $40,390 | $45,891 | 40 |
See every metro in North Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Winston 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 4.9% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Winston area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 11% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 76% 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 Winston area's population grew 5.3% from 2020 to 2025 (676,371 → 712,206), ranking #91 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +39,797) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Winston
The Winston area has about 318,345 homes. 42% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 14% were built in 2010 or later. 70% of households own their home, and the median home value is $270,700.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Winston are up 12% from 2021 to 2025 (4,206 → 4,699).
In 2025 the Winston area approved permits for 4,699 new homes (4,342 single-family), or 6.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #86 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,555 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $62,748 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Winston compares among the best cities to start a painter business.
They compete with 226 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 1,086 workers in total). 73% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Winston Government data
In an average year, Winston has 33 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), 64 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 86°F and winter nights 32°F. That matters for painters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
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 $37,950 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
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 Winston with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- 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.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, 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.