Statewide pay Government data
Painters in Wisconsin earn a statewide median of $50,090 a year, 5% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #23 of 50 states and DC. About 3,350 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Wisconsin
See all states on the painter overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes painter pay for 13 Wisconsin metros: Appleton, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Janesville, Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Racine, Sheboygan and Wausau.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| MadisonWISCONSIN · WI | $56,490 | $58,065 | 520 |
| JanesvilleWISCONSIN · WI | $52,070 | $55,569 | 50 |
| OshkoshWISCONSIN · WI | $51,050 | $54,934 | 90 |
| RacineWISCONSIN · WI | $50,950 | $53,094 | 80 |
| AppletonWISCONSIN · WI | $50,640 | $54,794 | 80 |
| MilwaukeeWISCONSIN · WI | $50,620 | $52,219 | 1,140 |
| La CrosseWISCONSIN · WI | $49,490 | $53,929 | 60 |
| SheboyganWISCONSIN · WI | $49,460 | $52,609 | 90 |
| Fond du LacWISCONSIN · WI | $49,420 | $53,927 | 30 |
| KenoshaWISCONSIN · WI | $48,820 | $48,280 | 100 |
| Green BayWISCONSIN · WI | $47,890 | $51,447 | 200 |
| WausauWISCONSIN · WI | $47,640 | $51,419 | 50 |
| Eau ClaireWISCONSIN · WI | $47,230 | $50,897 | 110 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Wisconsin's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
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.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 3.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,900 openings a year. Typical training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
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.
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.
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of painter apprentices in Wisconsin who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 57% completed (U.S.: 32%), about 13 graduates a year. The typical program runs 8,352 hours, about 4 years of full-time work. Search open registered programs near you on the official Apprenticeship Finder.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Licensing in Wisconsin Official source
The main state licensing office in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. It can point you to the right license for painters.
Official Wisconsin licensing site ↗
Requirements for painters vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 6.4% of wage and salary workers in Wisconsin were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#30 of 51 states and D.C.), and 7.5% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only painters.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Wisconsin
All trades in Wisconsin.