Painter salary in Rhode Island
Median $20.00 an hour for 1,160 painters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Painter pay in Rhode Island: the full range
Rhode Island ranks 49th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 51st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $19.55). 1,160 painters work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $15.00 – $17.90 | $31,200 – $37,230 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $17.90 – $26.95 | $37,230 – $56,060 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $26.95 – $30.96 | $56,060 – $64,410 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Painter pay by metro in Rhode Island
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | $15.00 | $21.31 | $36.40 | 1,370 | 7% above |
Painter wages in Rhode Island over time
Table
| Year | Rhode Island $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.86 | $22.92 | $12.86 | 590 |
| 2000 | $13.44 | $25.13 | $13.10 | 880 |
| 2001 | $14.06 | $25.56 | $13.66 | 800 |
| 2002 | $14.26 | $25.52 | $13.98 | — |
| 2003 | $14.74 | $25.79 | $14.12 | 840 |
| 2004 | $14.84 | $25.29 | $14.55 | — |
| 2005 | $14.70 | $24.23 | $14.81 | 860 |
| 2006 | $14.98 | $23.92 | $15.00 | 940 |
| 2007 | $16.03 | $24.89 | $15.42 | 1,020 |
| 2008 | $17.00 | $25.42 | $15.85 | 950 |
| 2009 | $17.76 | $26.65 | $16.21 | 780 |
| 2010 | $17.02 | $25.13 | $16.48 | 700 |
| 2011 | $17.03 | $24.37 | $17.04 | 710 |
| 2012 | $15.82 | $22.18 | $16.92 | 810 |
| 2013 | $15.16 | $20.95 | $17.01 | 780 |
| 2014 | $16.07 | $21.85 | $17.29 | 780 |
| 2015 | $18.10 | $24.59 | $17.59 | 680 |
| 2016 | $18.69 | $25.07 | $18.06 | 610 |
| 2017 | $18.85 | $24.76 | $18.25 | 620 |
| 2018 | $19.92 | $25.54 | $18.72 | 720 |
| 2019 | $21.68 | $27.30 | $19.37 | 790 |
| 2020 | $19.03 | $23.67 | $20.25 | 730 |
| 2021 | $22.68 | $26.95 | $21.92 | 650 |
| 2022 | $20.40 | $22.44 | $22.16 | 920 |
| 2023 | $23.11 | $24.42 | $22.94 | 1,010 |
| 2024 | $24.72 | $25.37 | $23.40 | 780 |
| 2025 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $23.75 | 1,160 |
In today's dollars, the median painter wage in Rhode Island changed by -18.7% over the last ten years of data and by -26.7% since 2019.
Are there more painter jobs in Rhode Island?
BLS counted 1,160 painters in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island's labor market agency projects the number of painters in the state to change by +12.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,420 to 1,600, with about 130 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,160 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Rhode Island labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in Rhode Island
On federally funded construction in Rhode Island, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 5 of the 5 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $64.37 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $20.00.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | Union PAIN0011-005 2025-06-01 | $38.57 | $25.80 | $64.37 | RI20260001 |
| Kent | Union PAIN0011-005 2025-06-01 | $38.57 | $25.80 | $64.37 | RI20260001 |
| Newport | Union PAIN0011-005 2025-06-01 | $38.57 | $25.80 | $64.37 | RI20260001 |
| Providence | Union PAIN0011-005 2025-06-01 | $38.57 | $25.80 | $64.37 | RI20260001 |
| Washington | Union PAIN0011-005 2025-06-01 | $38.57 | $25.80 | $64.37 | RI20260001 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Rhode Island prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Rhode Island?
Keep comparing
Painter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Rhode Island
More on Rhode Island
Questions this page answers
How much do painters make in Rhode Island?
The median painter in Rhode Island earned $20.00 an hour ($41,590 a year) in May 2025, 16% below the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $17.90–$26.95; the top 10% earn more than $30.96.
Where does Rhode Island rank for painter pay?
Rhode Island ranks 49th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $20.00 an hour, and 51st after adjusting for Rhode Island's cost of living (BEA price parity 102.3, US = 100).
What is the union painter rate in Rhode Island?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 5 counties, with a typical package of $64.37 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many painters work in Rhode Island?
BLS counted 1,160 painters in Rhode Island in May 2025, 2.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.60; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is painter work growing in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's labor market agency projects +12.3% growth for painters between 2024 and 2034, from 1,420 to 1,600 jobs.
How many painter openings a year are there in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island projects about 130 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, Rhode Island 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: Rhode Island labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.