Painters in the Watertown area earn a median of $47,240 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #197 of 359 metros for painter pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Utica and Syracuse, but less in Rochester.
It's one of 13 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see painters across New York.
Painter pay in Watertown at a glance
- Painters in the Watertown, NY metro earn a median $47,240 a year ($22.71 an hour), #197 of 359 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $38,900 and $67,330.
- After local prices, that median buys what $53,872 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,111 a month, 28% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among painters in Watertown.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for painters here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.5%) and the population is shrinking (-3.9% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 108 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $32,713 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $63/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Watertown scorecard for painters Our calculation
Grades compare Watertown 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 Watertown area went from $50,380 in 2021 to $47,240 in 2025, down 6.2%. Prices rose 19% over the same period, so after inflation that's -21.5% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2021–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 Watertown Our calculation
Prices in Watertown run 12% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $53,872 would in a typical place, ranking #108 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 monthly budget for Watertown 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 New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 NY metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $61,420 | $54,565 | 11,930 |
| ElmiraNEW YORK · NY | $59,490 | $63,020 | 90 |
| IthacaNEW YORK · NY | $59,110 | $57,212 | 40 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $53,340 | $55,653 | 750 |
| BinghamtonNEW YORK · NY | $53,190 | $57,278 | 100 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $51,650 | $51,875 | 480 |
| UticaNEW YORK · NY | $50,650 | $54,652 | 70 |
| Kiryas JoelNEW YORK · NY | $50,420 | $46,078 | 310 |
| KingstonNEW YORK · NY | $49,570 | $49,221 | 100 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $48,600 | $50,761 | 310 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Watertown area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just painters), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Watertown area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 79% drive alone, 1% take transit and 7% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Watertown area's population shrank 3.9% from 2020 to 2025 (116,075 → 111,540), ranking #383 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -7,875).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Watertown
The Watertown area has about 62,099 homes. 53% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 59% of households own their home, and the median home value is $204,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Watertown are up 79% from 2021 to 2025 (161 → 288).
In 2025 the Watertown area approved permits for 288 new homes (226 single-family), or 2.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #260 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 108 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $32,713 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Watertown compares among the best cities to start a painter business.
They compete with 33 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 111 workers in total). 73% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Watertown Government data
In an average year, Watertown has 2 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 151 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 87 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 77°F and winter nights 13°F. That matters for painters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Watertown International Airport, NY 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 $47,240 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. 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 Watertown with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for paintersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in WatertownSee where it falls among local painters, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolWatertown budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Watertown 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 Watertown against every other metro for painters. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.