The Average Salary of a Painter
Painters paint indoor and outdoor walls, and must stand for long periods to perform their jobs. Most learn their profession on the job, or by working first as an apprentice for an experienced professional. However, some technical schools offer training. The highest-paid painters can make double the salaries of the lowest-paid ones.
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Basics
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The median compensation of painters is $16.21 hourly or $33,720 yearly as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bottom 10 percent make $10.89 or $22,650 and the upper 10 percent receive $27.93 or $58,100.
Industries
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The type of industry can decide wages. This profession's highest-paying employer is natural gas distribution, in which compensation is $30.66 or $63,780; motion picture and video industries, in which compensation is $27.04 or $56,230; scientific research and development, in which compensation is $26.94 or $56,040; electric power generation, transmission and distribution, in which compensation is $26.59 or $55,310; and the postal service, in which compensation is $26.13 or $54,350.
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States
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Salary can vary by state, with the five highest being Illinois, in which pay runs $24.02 hourley or $49,960 per year; Alaska, in which pay runs $22.18 or $46,140; New York, in which pay runs $23.75 or $49,390; Nevada, in which pay runs $23.00 or $47,850; and Hawaii, in which pay runs $22.94 or $47,720.
Urban Areas
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Income can also vary by urban area, which includes counties and cities. The five best-paying for painters are Lawrence, Massachusetts, in which compensation is $34.35 or $71,440; Nassau County, New York, in which compensation is $28.20 or $58,650; Kankakee, Illinois, in which compensation is $28.15 or $58,550; Fairbanks, Alaska, in which compensation is $27.22 or $56,610; and Champaign, Illinois, in which compensation is $26.82 or $55,780.
Job Numbers
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Areas with the best employment may or may not offer the best pay. For example, the industries with the most jobs are building finishing contractors, with wages of $17.51 or $36,410; and residential building construction, with wages of $15.95 or $33,180. None of them offer the highest income. As for the states with the most painters per capita, Louisiana leads with pay of $15.82 or $32,910, which is not ranked in the top five for income. However, Hawaii, with the second most number of painters, is also a state in the top five for wages. Finally, none of the urban areas with the highest concentration of painters have the best compensation. These include Bremerton, Washington, in which compensation is $21.84 or $45,420; and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in which compensation is $20.87 or $43,400.
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References
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