How Much Do Painters Make? (Per Hour, Per Job, and Per Year)

The short answer

Painters working for a company typically earn about $18 to $30 per hour. Self-employed painters who book their own jobs earn an effective $40 to $70 per hour or more, and owners running crews can reach $60,000 to well over $150,000 a year.

Employee vs. owner

As with most trades, the income jump comes from working for yourself. An independent painter keeps the full job price instead of an hourly wage, and an owner who runs two or three crews earns on every painter's hours, not just their own.

Per year

• Employee: roughly $35,000 to $60,000.
• Solo self-employed: roughly $50,000 to $90,000.
• Owner with crews: $100,000 and up.

How painters earn more

• Go independent and quote whole jobs, not hourly.
• Charge properly for prep instead of absorbing it.
• Win repeat work from realtors, property managers, and contractors.
• Hire and run crews once you are turning work away.