Painter
Prepare surfaces and apply paint, stain and coatings to walls, buildings, bridges and other structures.
Construction and maintenance painters in the New York metro area earned an average of $69,930 a year in 2025 (median $61,420), according to BLS — 19% below the $86,310 average for all occupations. On New York City public-work contracts, the Comptroller's schedule sets the Painter – Brush & Roller rate at $44.75 an hour plus $44.13 in benefit supplements for 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026 — a window that has since ended; the rate in force now comes from a later step or a newer Comptroller schedule, not shown here.
Two Different Pay Figures
The BLS average describes what construction and maintenance painters across the metro area earned. The prevailing wage is a legal floor for one kind of work — New York City public-work contracts — paid as an hourly wage plus a separate supplement for benefits. Neither is a quote for any particular job. Rates below are the first step recorded from the Comptroller's 2025–26 schedule; where that window has ended, the rate in force now is a later step or a newer schedule — check the Comptroller's site before relying on a figure.
| Classification | Wage | Supplements | Total /hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painter – Brush & RollerDistrict Council of Painters #9 · 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026 · window ended | $44.75 | $44.13 | $88.88 |
Getting In
No union for this trade is in our verified list yet. The New York State Department of Labor's directory lists registered apprenticeship programs across every trade.
Open City Postings
City of New York civil-service postings whose titles match this trade — related roles such as inspectors included.
- PAINTERNyc Housing Authority · from $52.31/hr
- BOB-Supervisor Bridge PainterDepartment Of Transportation · from $525
Busiest Painting Firms in NYC
By DOB permits on file. A measure of how much work a firm files, not whether it is hiring or employs union members.
- 1M & R Painting &renovatio312 permits
- 2C & J Const And Painting288 permits
- 3P & P Constr & Painting163 permits
- 4Kimco Painting And Constr134 permits
- 5Prestigious Painting & Co133 permits
- 6Olympic Painting Co Inc114 permits
- 7Toned Painting & Construc106 permits
- 8Usa Construction & Painti105 permits
Common Questions
- How much do construction and maintenance painters make in NYC?
- Construction and maintenance painters in the New York metro area earned an average of $69,930 a year in 2025 (median $61,420), according to BLS — 19% below the $86,310 average for all occupations. On New York City public-work contracts, the Comptroller's schedule sets the Painter – Brush & Roller rate at $44.75 an hour plus $44.13 in benefit supplements for 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026 — a window that has since ended; the rate in force now comes from a later step or a newer Comptroller schedule, not shown here.
- What is the prevailing wage for construction and maintenance painters on NYC public work?
- Painter – Brush & Roller (District Council of Painters #9): $44.75 an hour plus $44.13 in supplements, a total of $88.88, for 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026 (that window has ended). Source: NYC Comptroller's schedule published Jan 19, 2026; some rates step up later in the schedule period.
- Are there City of New York jobs for construction and maintenance painters?
- Yes — 2 related civil-service postings are open with City agencies right now, including PAINTER at Nyc Housing Authority and BOB-Supervisor Bridge Painter at Department Of Transportation.
Other Construction Careers
Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area, 2025, SOC 47-2141 (bls.gov). Public-work rates: NYC Comptroller construction prevailing wage schedule, published Jan 19, 2026 (PDF). Open postings: NYC Jobs, live. Firms: NYC DOB Permit Issuance, by permits on file.