Skilled Wages

Painter salary in New York

Median $28.64 an hour for 13,040 painters, construction and maintenance, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.64/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$59,570/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.95 – $53.6310th to 90th percentilehourly range
13,040Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Painter pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrNew York: 10th $21.95 · 25th $23.47 · median $28.64 · 75th $38.14 · 90th $53.63New York$28.64$21.95$53.63United States: 10th $18.00 · 25th $21.46 · median $23.75 · 75th $29.65 · 90th $37.89United States$23.75
Hourly wage percentiles for painters, construction and maintenance: New York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 5th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 14th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.54). 13,040 painters, construction and maintenance work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.95 – $23.47$45,660 – $48,820roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.47 – $38.14$48,820 – $79,320the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$38.14 – $53.63$79,320 – $111,550the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Painter pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrNew York City: $29.53New York City$29.53Elmira: $28.60Elmira$28.60Ithaca: $28.42Ithaca$28.42Buffalo: $25.64Buffalo$25.64Binghamton: $25.57Binghamton$25.57Albany: $24.83Albany$24.83Utica: $24.35Utica$24.35Poughkeepsie: $24.24Poughkeepsie$24.24Kingston: $23.83Kingston$23.83Syracuse: $23.37Syracuse$23.37Glens Falls: $22.93Glens Falls$22.93Rochester: $22.71Rochester$22.71
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
New York City$21.83$29.53$53.6311,9303% above
Elmira$18.63$28.60$47.5390about the same as
Ithaca$19.92$28.42$36.67401% below
Buffalo$18.77$25.64$46.1275010% below
Binghamton$20.20$25.57$52.3310011% below
Albany$20.33$24.83$36.9048013% below
Utica$17.99$24.35$34.677015% below
Poughkeepsie$19.07$24.24$37.7431015% below
Kingston$18.80$23.83$35.5510017% below
Syracuse$18.93$23.37$37.5731018% below
Glens Falls$18.39$22.93$32.198020% below
Rochester$19.21$22.71$32.0659021% below
Watertown$18.70$22.71$32.375021% below

Painter wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$28.64New York$23.75United States
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.03$32.91$12.8613,130
2000$13.99$26.16$13.1014,800
2001$15.50$28.18$13.6613,590
2002$15.91$28.47$13.9814,240
2003$15.61$27.31$14.1213,410
2004$17.15$29.23$14.5512,580
2005$18.90$31.16$14.8112,390
2006$18.57$29.66$15.0012,790
2007$19.18$29.78$15.4213,430
2008$19.83$29.65$15.8514,370
2009$21.31$31.98$16.2113,860
2010$20.34$30.03$16.4812,970
2011$20.98$30.03$17.0413,200
2012$19.85$27.83$16.9211,450
2013$21.12$29.19$17.0112,090
2014$20.65$28.08$17.2912,470
2015$22.30$30.29$17.5914,030
2016$22.33$29.95$18.0613,360
2017$21.87$28.72$18.2513,660
2018$20.99$26.91$18.7214,300
2019$22.67$28.55$19.3715,050
2020$24.64$30.65$20.2512,900
2021$27.05$32.14$21.9212,100
2022$24.33$26.76$22.1613,790
2023$25.79$27.25$22.9414,820
2024$26.93$27.64$23.4014,670
2025$28.64$28.64$23.7513,040

In today's dollars, the median painter wage in New York changed by -5.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 61 of the 61 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $53.83 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $28.64.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: $55.19 (union)Allegany: $53.56 (union)Bronx: $91.86 (union)Broome: $52.83 (union)Cattaraugus: $53.56 (union)Cayuga: $53.56 (union)Chautauqua: $53.56 (union)Chemung: $49.91 (union)Chenango: $53.56 (union)Clinton: $53.56 (union)Columbia: $53.56 (union)Cortland: $53.56 (union)Delaware: $53.56 (union)Dutchess: $61.60 (union)Erie: $61.21 (union)Essex: $53.56 (union)Franklin: $53.56 (union)Fulton: $53.56 (union)Genesee: $53.56 (union)Greene: $53.56 (union)Hamilton: $53.56 (union)Herkimer: $54.00 (union)Jefferson: $55.26 (union)Kings: $91.86 (union)Lewis: $53.56 (union)Livingston: $54.00 (union)Madison: $53.56 (union)Monroe: $54.00 (union)Montgomery: $53.56 (union)Nassau: $106.40 (union)New York: $91.86 (union)Niagara: $61.21 (union)Oneida: $55.70 (union)Onondaga: $44.46 (union)Ontario: $54.00 (union)Orange: $61.60 (union)Orleans: $61.21 (union)Oswego: $46.00 (union)Otsego: $53.56 (union)Putnam: $106.40 (union)Queens: $91.86 (union)Rensselaer: $55.19 (union)Richmond: $91.86 (union)Rockland: $64.80 (union)St. Lawrence: $53.56 (union)Saratoga: $55.19 (union)Schenectady: $55.19 (union)Schoharie: $55.19 (union)Schuyler: $53.56 (union)Seneca: $53.56 (union)Steuben: $53.56 (union)Suffolk: $106.40 (union)Sullivan: $53.56 (union)Tioga: $53.83 (union)Tompkins: $53.83 (union)Ulster: $61.60 (union)Warren: $56.19 (union)Washington: $55.19 (union)Wayne: —Westchester: $106.40 (union)Wyoming: $53.56 (union)Yates: $53.60 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$53.56$55.19$61.60n/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for painters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrNassau (New York City): market median $29.53, prevailing (union) $106.40, gap +$76.87Nassau (New York City)+$76.87Orleans (Rochester): market median $22.71, prevailing (union) $61.21, gap +$38.50Orleans (Rochester)+$38.50Ulster (Kingston): market median $23.83, prevailing (union) $61.60, gap +$37.77Ulster (Kingston)+$37.77Dutchess (Poughkeepsie): market median $24.24, prevailing (union) $61.60, gap +$37.36Dutchess (Poughkeepsie)+$37.36Erie (Buffalo): market median $25.64, prevailing (union) $61.21, gap +$35.57Erie (Buffalo)+$35.57Warren (Glens Falls): market median $22.93, prevailing (union) $56.19, gap +$33.26Warren (Glens Falls)+$33.26Jefferson (Watertown): market median $22.71, prevailing (union) $55.26, gap +$32.55Jefferson (Watertown)+$32.55Oneida (Utica): market median $24.35, prevailing (union) $55.70, gap +$31.35Oneida (Utica)+$31.35Albany (Albany): market median $24.83, prevailing (union) $55.19, gap +$30.36Albany (Albany)+$30.36Madison (Syracuse): market median $23.37, prevailing (union) $53.56, gap +$30.19Madison (Syracuse)+$30.19Tioga (Binghamton): market median $25.57, prevailing (union) $53.83, gap +$28.26Tioga (Binghamton)+$28.26Tompkins (Ithaca): market median $28.42, prevailing (union) $53.83, gap +$25.41Tompkins (Ithaca)+$25.41Chemung (Elmira): market median $28.60, prevailing (union) $49.91, gap +$21.31Chemung (Elmira)+$21.31
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for painters, metro counties in New York.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
NassauUnion PAIN0009-002 2025-05-01$49.20$57.20$106.40NY20260012
PutnamUnion PAIN0009-003 2025-05-01$49.20$57.20$106.40NY20260025
SuffolkUnion PAIN0009-002 2025-05-01$49.20$57.20$106.40NY20260012
WestchesterUnion PAIN0009-003 2025-05-01$49.20$57.20$106.40NY20260017
BronxUnion PAIN0009-001 2025-05-01$47.75$44.11$91.86NY20260003
KingsUnion PAIN0009-001 2025-05-01$47.75$44.11$91.86NY20260003
New YorkUnion PAIN0009-001 2025-05-01$47.75$44.11$91.86NY20260003
QueensUnion PAIN0009-001 2025-05-01$47.75$44.11$91.86NY20260003
RichmondUnion PAIN0009-001 2025-05-01$47.75$44.11$91.86NY20260003
RocklandUnion PAIN0155-004 2021-05-01$40.14$24.66$64.80NY20260020
DutchessUnion PAIN0155-003 2021-05-01$36.94$24.66$61.60NY20260007
OrangeUnion PAIN0155-003 2021-05-01$36.94$24.66$61.60NY20260007
UlsterUnion PAIN0155-003 2021-05-01$36.94$24.66$61.60NY20260007
ErieUnion PAIN0004-024 2025-05-01$33.00$28.21$61.21NY20260050
NiagaraUnion PAIN0004-010 2025-05-01$33.00$28.21$61.21NY20260019

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the New York prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.0kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-08
-1.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kAug 2026
Construction employment in New York (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Painter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

Questions this page answers

How much do painters make in New York?

The median painter in New York earned $28.64 an hour ($59,570 a year) in May 2025, 21% above the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $23.47–$38.14; the top 10% earn more than $53.63.

Where does New York rank for painter pay?

New York ranks 5th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $28.64 an hour, and 14th after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union painter rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 61 counties, with a typical package of $53.83 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many painters work in New York?

BLS counted 13,040 painters, construction and maintenance in New York in May 2025, 1.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.93; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New York and metro areas, SOC 47-2141.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.