Painter salary in Connecticut
Median $28.12 an hour for 2,230 painters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Painter pay in Connecticut: the full range
Connecticut ranks 11th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 11th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.14). 2,230 painters work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.3× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $19.29 – $22.90 | $40,120 – $47,630 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.90 – $36.74 | $47,630 – $76,420 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $36.74 – $44.42 | $76,420 – $92,390 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Painter pay by metro in Connecticut
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | $21.10 | $28.65 | $26.80 | $38.07 | 480 | 2% above |
| Norwich | $20.86 | $28.24 | $28.13 | $37.98 | 420 | about the same as |
| Hartford | $18.50 | $28.14 | $27.40 | $58.09 | 630 | about the same as |
| New Haven | $18.74 | $28.12 | $26.88 | $38.92 | 340 | about the same as |
| Waterbury | $18.98 | $26.77 | $26.82 | $40.43 | 210 | 5% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Painter wages in Connecticut over time
Table
| Year | Connecticut $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $12.12 | $23.42 | $12.86 | 2,920 |
| 2000 | $15.05 | $28.14 | $13.10 | 2,800 |
| 2001 | $15.75 | $28.63 | $13.66 | 2,820 |
| 2002 | $16.10 | $28.81 | $13.98 | 2,610 |
| 2003 | $16.68 | $29.18 | $14.12 | 2,350 |
| 2004 | $17.07 | $29.09 | $14.55 | 2,400 |
| 2005 | $16.66 | $27.46 | $14.81 | 2,600 |
| 2006 | $17.69 | $28.25 | $15.00 | 2,380 |
| 2007 | $17.50 | $27.17 | $15.42 | 2,460 |
| 2008 | $18.18 | $27.18 | $15.85 | 2,230 |
| 2009 | $17.56 | $26.35 | $16.21 | 1,690 |
| 2010 | $18.11 | $26.74 | $16.48 | 1,480 |
| 2011 | $18.12 | $25.93 | $17.04 | 1,660 |
| 2012 | $17.50 | $24.54 | $16.92 | 1,660 |
| 2013 | $17.93 | $24.78 | $17.01 | 1,580 |
| 2014 | $18.96 | $25.78 | $17.29 | 1,600 |
| 2015 | $19.53 | $26.53 | $17.59 | 1,770 |
| 2016 | $19.22 | $25.78 | $18.06 | 1,740 |
| 2017 | $20.57 | $27.02 | $18.25 | 1,910 |
| 2018 | $22.09 | $28.32 | $18.72 | 1,920 |
| 2019 | $22.37 | $28.17 | $19.37 | 1,860 |
| 2020 | $22.87 | $28.45 | $20.25 | 1,580 |
| 2021 | $22.99 | $27.31 | $21.92 | 1,720 |
| 2022 | $23.59 | $25.95 | $22.16 | 1,840 |
| 2023 | $24.47 | $25.85 | $22.94 | 1,810 |
| 2024 | $25.78 | $26.46 | $23.40 | 2,010 |
| 2025 | $28.12 | $28.12 | $23.75 | 2,230 |
In today's dollars, the median painter wage in Connecticut changed by +6.0% over the last ten years of data and by -0.2% since 2019.
Are there more painter jobs in Connecticut?
BLS counted 2,230 painters in Connecticut in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 7%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for painters in Connecticut
Connecticut's labor market agency projects the number of painters in the state to change by +12.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 3,490 to 3,940, with about 330 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,230 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Connecticut labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in Connecticut
On federally funded construction in Connecticut, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 8 of the 8 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $66.32 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $28.12.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260020 |
| Hartford | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260021 |
| Litchfield | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260019 |
| Middlesex | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260022 |
| New Haven | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260023 |
| New London | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260024 |
| Tolland | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260025 |
| Windham | Union PAIN0011-021 2025-06-01 | $39.57 | $26.75 | $66.32 | CT20260026 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Connecticut prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination. Davis-Bacon determinations still use Connecticut's eight historical counties; employment data uses the nine 2022 planning regions.
Is construction work growing in Connecticut?
Keep comparing
Painter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Connecticut
More on Connecticut
Questions this page answers
How much do painters make in Connecticut?
The median painter in Connecticut earned $28.12 an hour ($58,480 a year) in May 2025, 18% above the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $22.90–$36.74; the top 10% earn more than $44.42.
Where does Connecticut rank for painter pay?
Connecticut ranks 11th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $28.12 an hour, and 11th after adjusting for Connecticut's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.6, US = 100).
What is the union painter rate in Connecticut?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 8 counties, with a typical package of $66.32 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many painters work in Connecticut?
BLS counted 2,230 painters in Connecticut in May 2025, 1.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.91; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is painter work growing in Connecticut?
Connecticut's labor market agency projects +12.9% growth for painters between 2024 and 2034, from 3,490 to 3,940 jobs.
How many painter openings a year are there in Connecticut?
Connecticut projects about 330 openings a year for painters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 24,900 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Connecticut and metro areas, SOC 47-2141. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Connecticut labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.