Painter salary in District of Columbia
Median $28.61 an hour for 500 painters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Painter pay in District of Columbia: the full range
District of Columbia ranks 6th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 19th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.03). 500 painters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $22.49 – $22.77 | $46,780 – $47,360 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.77 – $33.36 | $47,360 – $69,390 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $33.36 – $39.13 | $69,390 – $81,390 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Painter pay by metro in District of Columbia
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | $20.00 | $24.31 | $35.60 | 4,380 | 15% below |
Painter wages in District of Columbia over time
Table
| Year | District of Columbia $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $15.50 | $29.95 | $12.86 | 520 |
| 2000 | $16.07 | $30.04 | $13.10 | 590 |
| 2001 | $16.91 | $30.74 | $13.66 | 560 |
| 2002 | $16.83 | $30.12 | $13.98 | 690 |
| 2003 | $18.05 | $31.58 | $14.12 | 300 |
| 2004 | $17.36 | $29.59 | $14.55 | 580 |
| 2005 | $17.06 | $28.12 | $14.81 | 510 |
| 2006 | $19.00 | $30.34 | $15.00 | 520 |
| 2007 | $19.37 | $30.08 | $15.42 | 400 |
| 2008 | $22.02 | $32.93 | $15.85 | 430 |
| 2009 | $22.19 | $33.30 | $16.21 | 410 |
| 2010 | $22.28 | $32.89 | $16.48 | 460 |
| 2011 | $23.21 | $33.22 | $17.04 | 470 |
| 2012 | $22.86 | $32.05 | $16.92 | 410 |
| 2013 | $24.86 | $34.36 | $17.01 | 420 |
| 2014 | $24.10 | $32.77 | $17.29 | 410 |
| 2015 | $23.52 | $31.95 | $17.59 | 410 |
| 2016 | $24.70 | $33.13 | $18.06 | 470 |
| 2017 | $25.73 | $33.79 | $18.25 | 440 |
| 2018 | $26.50 | $33.98 | $18.72 | 440 |
| 2019 | $25.46 | $32.06 | $19.37 | 300 |
| 2020 | $27.94 | $34.76 | $20.25 | 270 |
| 2021 | $22.48 | $26.71 | $21.92 | 530 |
| 2022 | $22.34 | $24.58 | $22.16 | 420 |
| 2023 | $25.79 | $27.25 | $22.94 | 490 |
| 2024 | $28.76 | $29.52 | $23.40 | 420 |
| 2025 | $28.61 | $28.61 | $23.75 | 500 |
In today's dollars, the median painter wage in District of Columbia changed by -10.4% over the last ten years of data and by -10.8% since 2019.
Are there more painter jobs in District of Columbia?
BLS counted 500 painters in District of Columbia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 20%. 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 District of Columbia
District of Columbia's labor market agency projects the number of painters in the state to change by +6.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 480 to 510, with about 40 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 500 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: District of Columbia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in District of Columbia
On federally funded construction in District of Columbia, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 1 of the 1 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $41.02 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $28.61.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | Union PAIN0051-015 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | DC20260002 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the District of Columbia prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in District of Columbia?
Keep comparing
Painter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in District of Columbia
More on District of Columbia
Questions this page answers
How much do painters make in District of Columbia?
The median painter in District of Columbia earned $28.61 an hour ($59,520 a year) in May 2025, 20% above the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $22.77–$33.36; the top 10% earn more than $39.13.
Where does District of Columbia rank for painter pay?
District of Columbia ranks 6th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $28.61 an hour, and 19th after adjusting for District of Columbia's cost of living (BEA price parity 109.9, US = 100).
What is the union painter rate in District of Columbia?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 1 counties, with a typical package of $41.02 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many painters work in District of Columbia?
BLS counted 500 painters in District of Columbia in May 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.49; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is painter work growing in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's labor market agency projects +6.1% growth for painters between 2024 and 2034, from 480 to 510 jobs.
How many painter openings a year are there in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia projects about 40 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, District of Columbia 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: District of Columbia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.