Painters in the Memphis area earn a median of $44,620 a year, 6% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #276 of 359 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Florence and Little Rock, but less in Jackson.
It's one of 10 Tennessee metros with published pay for this trade; see painter pay in Tennessee.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for painters here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and also below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.4%) and the population is shrinking (-0.4% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 2,770 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $74,079 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $61/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Memphis scorecard for painters Our calculation
Grades compare Memphis 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 Memphis area went from $36,660 in 2020 to $44,620 in 2025, up 21.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -2.9% — 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
What the pay is really worth in Memphis Our calculation
Prices in Memphis run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $48,406 would in a typical place, ranking #230 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 Tennessee Official source
The main state licensing office in Tennessee is the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. It can point you to the right license for painters.
Official Tennessee 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 TN metros for painters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChattanoogaTENNESSEE · TN | $47,470 | $51,900 | 230 |
| MemphisTENNESSEE · TN | $44,620 | $48,406 | 590 |
| NashvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $44,330 | $46,015 | 880 |
| JacksonTENNESSEE · TN | $42,840 | $50,092 | 60 |
| ClarksvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $42,470 | $46,698 | 80 |
| KnoxvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $40,420 | $43,665 | 400 |
| KingsportTENNESSEE · TN | $39,750 | $45,982 | 120 |
| Johnson CityTENNESSEE · TN | $39,390 | $44,798 | 60 |
| MorristownTENNESSEE · TN | $39,310 | $45,517 | 40 |
| ClevelandTENNESSEE · TN | $37,350 | $42,405 | 80 |
See every metro in Tennessee.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Memphis area's unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just painters), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Memphis 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, 0% take transit and 10% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Memphis area's population shrank 0.4% from 2020 to 2025 (1,346,138 → 1,341,412), ranking #308 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -14,343).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Memphis
The Memphis area has about 586,553 homes. 43% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. 60% of households own their home, and the median home value is $282,900.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Memphis are down 37% from 2021 to 2025 (5,205 → 3,298).
In 2025 the Memphis area approved permits for 3,298 new homes (3,082 single-family), or 2.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #260 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 2,770 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $74,079 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Memphis compares among the best cities to start a painter business.
They compete with 218 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 2,200 workers in total). 50% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Memphis Government data
In an average year, Memphis has 72 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 44 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 74 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 3 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 91°F and winter nights 35°F. That matters for painters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Memphis International Airport, TN 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 $44,620 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 Memphis 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.