Skilled Wages

Painter salary in Virginia

Median $22.82 an hour for 5,930 painters, construction and maintenance, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$22.82/hrMedian hourly wageVirginia, May data
$47,470/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.50 – $30.4410th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,930Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Painter pay in Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrVirginia: 10th $17.50 · 25th $18.89 · median $22.82 · 75th $27.03 · 90th $30.44Virginia$22.82$17.50$30.44United 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: Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

Virginia ranks 34th of 51 states for median painter pay, and 43rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $22.57). 5,930 painters, construction and maintenance work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.50 – $18.89$36,400 – $39,300roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.89 – $27.03$39,300 – $56,220the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$27.03 – $30.44$56,220 – $63,310the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Painter pay by metro in Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrWashington DC: $24.31Washington DC$24.31Richmond: $22.92Richmond$22.92Virginia Beach: $22.65Virginia Beach$22.65Charlottesville: $22.02Charlottesville$22.02Roanoke: $21.65Roanoke$21.65Winchester: $20.96Winchester$20.96Harrisonburg: $20.03Harrisonburg$20.03Kingsport: $19.11Kingsport$19.11Blacksburg: $18.99Blacksburg$18.99Lynchburg: $18.75Lynchburg$18.75
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance by metro area in Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$20.00$24.31$35.604,3807% above
Richmond$17.69$22.92$28.501,010about the same as
Virginia Beach$16.75$22.65$34.641,6101% below
Charlottesville$17.61$22.02$29.241804% below
Roanoke$15.89$21.65$28.882205% below
Winchester$16.37$20.96$26.11608% below
Harrisonburg$15.07$20.03$26.65—12% below
Kingsport$15.49$19.11$27.4312016% below
Blacksburg$15.39$18.99$24.825017% below
Lynchburg$15.64$18.75$25.6911018% below

Painter wages in Virginia over time

Virginia, 1999-2025VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25200020052010201520202025$23.75United States$22.82Virginia
Median hourly wage for painters, construction and maintenance, Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearVirginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.57$24.29$12.867,690
2000$12.02$22.47$13.108,720
2001$12.58$22.87$13.669,390
2002$13.25$23.71$13.989,430
2003$13.32$23.31$14.128,980
2004$13.97$23.81$14.558,700
2005$14.10$23.24$14.818,460
2006$14.56$23.25$15.009,070
2007$14.86$23.07$15.428,770
2008$15.58$23.30$15.858,100
2009$15.85$23.79$16.216,720
2010$16.04$23.68$16.486,190
2011$16.18$23.16$17.045,880
2012$16.08$22.55$16.925,930
2013$16.55$22.87$17.016,050
2014$17.19$23.38$17.296,230
2015$17.47$23.73$17.596,050
2016$17.80$23.88$18.066,260
2017$17.78$23.35$18.255,780
2018$18.23$23.37$18.725,870
2019$18.77$23.64$19.375,320
2020$19.59$24.37$20.255,420
2021$18.58$22.08$21.925,270
2022$20.84$22.93$22.164,940
2023$21.97$23.21$22.945,170
2024$21.48$22.05$23.405,300
2025$22.82$22.82$23.755,930

In today's dollars, the median painter wage in Virginia changed by -3.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for painters in Virginia

On federally funded construction in Virginia, contractors must pay painters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 32 of the 58 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 $18.30). 26 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Amelia County at $16.58). The market median for the state is $22.82.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, VAAccomack: —Albemarle: $41.02 (union)Alleghany: —Amelia: $16.58 (survey)Amherst: $41.02 (union)Appomattox: $41.02 (union)Arlington: $41.02 (union)Augusta: $41.02 (union)Bath: —Bedford: $41.02 (union)Bland: —Botetourt: $41.02 (union)Brunswick: —Buchanan: —Buckingham: $41.02 (union)Campbell: $41.02 (union)Caroline: $16.58 (survey)Carroll: —Charles City: $16.58 (survey)Charlotte: —Chesterfield: $16.58 (survey)Clarke: $41.02 (union)Craig: $41.02 (union)Culpeper: $41.02 (union)Cumberland: —Dickenson: —Dinwiddie: $16.58 (survey)Essex: —Fairfax: $41.02 (union)Fauquier: $41.02 (union)Floyd: $41.02 (union)Fluvanna: $41.02 (union)Franklin: $41.02 (union)Frederick: $41.02 (union)Giles: $41.02 (union)Gloucester: $23.53 (survey)Goochland: $16.58 (survey)Grayson: —Greene: $41.02 (union)Greensville: —Halifax: —Hanover: $16.58 (survey)Henrico: $16.58 (survey)Henry: —Highland: —Isle of Wight: $23.53 (survey)James City: $23.53 (survey)King and Queen: —King George: —King William: $16.58 (survey)Lancaster: —Lee: —Loudoun: $41.02 (union)Louisa: —Lunenburg: —Madison: —Mathews: $23.53 (survey)Mecklenburg: —Middlesex: —Montgomery: $41.02 (union)Nelson: $41.02 (union)New Kent: $16.58 (survey)Northampton: —Northumberland: —Nottoway: —Orange: —Page: —Patrick: —Pittsylvania: —Powhatan: $16.58 (survey)Prince Edward: —Prince George: $16.58 (survey)Prince William: $41.02 (union)Pulaski: $20.01 (survey)Rappahannock: $41.02 (union)Richmond: —Roanoke: $41.02 (union)Rockbridge: —Rockingham: $41.02 (union)Russell: —Scott: $41.02 (union)Shenandoah: —Smyth: —Southampton: —Spotsylvania: $41.02 (union)Stafford: $41.02 (union)Surry: —Sussex: $16.58 (survey)Tazewell: —Warren: $41.02 (union)Washington: $41.02 (union)Westmoreland: —Wise: —Wythe: —York: $23.53 (survey)Alexandria: —Bristol: —Buena Vista: —Charlottesville: —Chesapeake: $23.53 (survey)Colonial Heights: —Covington: —Danville: —Emporia: —Fairfax: —Falls Church: —Franklin: —Fredericksburg: —Galax: —Hampton: $23.53 (survey)Harrisonburg: —Hopewell: —Lexington: —Lynchburg: —Manassas: —Manassas Park: —Martinsville: —Newport News: $23.53 (survey)Norfolk: $23.53 (survey)Norton: —Petersburg: —Poquoson: —Portsmouth: $23.53 (survey)Radford: —Richmond: —Roanoke: —Salem: —Staunton: —Suffolk: $23.53 (survey)Virginia Beach: $23.53 (survey)Waynesboro: —Williamsburg: —Winchester: —Union / prevailing package, $/hr$23.53n/asurvey rate
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)Prevailing (survey)$10$20$30$40$50/hrAmherst (Lynchburg): market median $18.75, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$22.27Amherst (Lynchburg)+$22.27Floyd (Blacksburg): market median $18.99, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$22.03Floyd (Blacksburg)+$22.03Scott (Kingsport): market median $19.11, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$21.91Scott (Kingsport)+$21.91Rockingham (Harrisonburg): market median $20.03, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$20.99Rockingham (Harrisonburg)+$20.99Frederick (Winchester): market median $20.96, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$20.06Frederick (Winchester)+$20.06Botetourt (Roanoke): market median $21.65, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$19.37Botetourt (Roanoke)+$19.37Albemarle (Charlottesville): market median $22.02, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$19.00Albemarle (Charlottesville)+$19.00Augusta (Virginia): market median $22.82, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$18.20Augusta (Virginia)+$18.20Arlington (Washington DC): market median $24.31, prevailing (union) $41.02, gap +$16.71Arlington (Washington DC)+$16.71Gloucester (Virginia Beach): market median $22.65, prevailing (survey) $23.53, gap +$0.88Gloucester (Virginia Beach)+$0.88Amelia (Richmond): market median $22.92, prevailing (survey) $16.58, gap −$6.34Amelia (Richmond)−$6.34
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for painters, metro counties in Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlbemarleUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260011
AmherstUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260171
AppomattoxUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260012
ArlingtonUnion PAIN0051-035 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260013
AugustaUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260014
BedfordUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260171
BotetourtUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260172
BuckinghamUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260173
CampbellUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260171
ClarkeUnion PAIN0051-035 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260018
CraigUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260172
CulpeperUnion PAIN0051-035 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260174
FairfaxUnion PAIN0051-035 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260178
FauquierUnion PAIN0051-035 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260020
FloydUnion PAIN0051-033 2025-06-01$29.16$11.86$41.02VA20260175

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

Is construction work growing in Virginia?

231.3kConstruction jobsVirginia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025231kAug 2026
Construction employment in Virginia (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Painter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do painters make in Virginia?

The median painter in Virginia earned $22.82 an hour ($47,470 a year) in May 2025, 4% below the national median of $23.75. The middle half earn $18.89–$27.03; the top 10% earn more than $30.44.

Where does Virginia rank for painter pay?

Virginia ranks 34th of 51 states for painter pay, with a median of $22.82 an hour, and 43rd after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 101.1, US = 100).

What is the union painter rate in Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for painters in 32 counties, with a typical package of $41.02 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many painters work in Virginia?

BLS counted 5,930 painters, construction and maintenance in Virginia in May 2025, 1.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.00; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Virginia 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.