Painters in Michigan: licensing, jobs, pay and local data

4,930 people work as painters in Michigan, and the median pay is $49,360 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 969 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in Michigan (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 2.1 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 2.7 nationally.

Michigan ranks 25 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 33 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
4,930
Median pay, a year
$49,360
Businesses with employees
969

Painters in Michigan: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
MichiganUnited States
Businesses with employees96938,280
Their employees4,268208,201
Annual payroll$255,670,000$11,485,346,000
Payroll per employee$59,904$55,165
Businesses per 10,000 homes2.12.7
Jobs4,930224,180
Jobs per 1,000 jobs1.12—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)0.771.00

A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.

What painters earn in Michigan

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
MichiganUnited States
Median pay, a year$49,360$48,660
Median pay, an hour$23.73$23.40
10th percentile$36,630$36,680
25th percentile$44,360$42,510
75th percentile$61,930$60,270
90th percentile$70,540$76,550
Average pay, a year$54,050$53,710

Painters by county in Michigan

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Oakland County1434232.5
Macomb County1425953.8
Wayne County1146041.4
Kent County935123.5
Ottawa County492424.2
Washtenaw County441432.8
Grand Traverse County28776.0
Livingston County28993.5
Emmet County259611.4
Kalamazoo County201541.7
Genesee County193851.0
Muskegon County16622.1
Ingham County15891.2
St. Clair County14381.9
Berrien County12371.6
Midland County12473.2
Saginaw County12971.4
Charlevoix County11366.2
Eaton County9181.9
Allegan County8251.5
Clinton County7502.1
Leelanau County7274.4
Bay County6161.2
Isabella County6272.1
Jackson County6100.9
Lenawee County6261.4
Marquette County6171.8
Mason County6123.4
Montmorency County666.7
Van Buren County6341.6
Barry County5121.8
Cheboygan County5192.8
Montcalm County5131.8
Antrim County462.3
Delta County4322.0
Mackinac County493.8
Monroe County4100.6
Shiawassee County461.3
Tuscola County491.7
Alpena County311.9
Calhoun County320.5
Chippewa County331.5
Gratiot County371.9
Hillsdale County3131.4
Huron County341.5
Lapeer County390.8
Ogemaw County3132.0
Otsego County392.0
Sanilac County381.4

The homes behind the work in Michigan

Estimate (90% margin of error)
MichiganUnited States
Homes built before 194014.6% (±0.1 points)11.7%
Homes built in the 1950s14.2% (±0.1 points)9.5%
Homes built in the 1960s11.5% (±0.1 points)9.9%
Homes built in the 1970s14.9% (±0.1 points)14.2%

Licenses for painters in Michigan

Michigan sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license Michigan requires and the agency that issues it.

Before work starts, the local building department says which permits the job needs and which license the person pulling them must hold.

Federal rules and model codes for painters

These federal rules apply to this work in every state, and the model codes below are adopted state by state; each is linked to its official text.

Business counts are establishments: a company with offices in two counties is counted in each.

Jobs and pay are for the occupation in every industry, so they include people employed by builders, property managers and governments as well as by contractors.

What you can do on Seayora in Michigan

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Questions about Michigan

How much do painters make in Michigan?

The median pay for painters in Michigan is $49,360 a year, against $48,660 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many painters work in Michigan?

4,930 people work as painters in Michigan, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

How many painting and wall covering contractor businesses are in Michigan?

The Census Bureau counts 969 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in Michigan (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do painters need a license in Michigan?

Michigan sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license Michigan requires and the agency that issues it.

Sources

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them. Rules are summarized from their official text, which governs; this page is not legal advice, and a state or city may add requirements of its own.

Figures last updated on .

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