Painters in New Jersey: licensing, jobs, pay and local data
4,230 people work as painters in New Jersey, and the median pay is $60,290 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
The Census Bureau counts 1,046 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in New Jersey (2023 County Business Patterns).
That is 2.8 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 2.7 nationally.
New Jersey ranks 5 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.
It ranks 22 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.
Figures last updated on .
- Jobs
- 4,230
- Median pay, a year
- $60,290
- Businesses with employees
- 1,046
Painters in New Jersey: businesses and jobs
| New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses with employees | 1,046 | 38,280 |
| Their employees | 4,101 | 208,201 |
| Annual payroll | $265,681,000 | $11,485,346,000 |
| Payroll per employee | $64,784 | $55,165 |
| Businesses per 10,000 homes | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| Jobs | 4,230 | 224,180 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs | 1.00 | — |
| Location quotient (1.00 = the national share) | 0.68 | 1.00 |
A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.
What painters earn in New Jersey
| New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay, a year | $60,290 | $48,660 |
| Median pay, an hour | $28.99 | $23.40 |
| 10th percentile | $39,010 | $36,680 |
| 25th percentile | $49,220 | $42,510 |
| 75th percentile | $75,230 | $60,270 |
| 90th percentile | $96,390 | $76,550 |
| Average pay, a year | $64,810 | $53,710 |
Painters by county in New Jersey
| County | Businesses with employees | Their employees | Businesses per 10,000 homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen County | 105 | 417 | 2.8 |
| Essex County | 104 | 388 | 3.1 |
| Morris County | 89 | 222 | 4.5 |
| Union County | 85 | 155 | 4.0 |
| Ocean County | 81 | 289 | 2.7 |
| Monmouth County | 76 | 275 | 2.8 |
| Burlington County | 65 | 228 | 3.5 |
| Atlantic County | 58 | 385 | 4.4 |
| Passaic County | 58 | 439 | 3.1 |
| Middlesex County | 49 | 348 | 1.5 |
| Camden County | 41 | 236 | 1.9 |
| Somerset County | 40 | 116 | 3.0 |
| Hudson County | 38 | 112 | 1.2 |
| Gloucester County | 34 | 88 | 2.9 |
| Mercer County | 34 | 87 | 2.2 |
| Cape May County | 32 | 127 | 3.2 |
| Hunterdon County | 20 | 67 | 3.8 |
| Cumberland County | 16 | 43 | 2.8 |
| Sussex County | 11 | 50 | 1.7 |
| Warren County | 6 | 2 | 1.3 |
| Salem County | 4 | 27 | 1.4 |
The homes behind the work in New Jersey
| New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1940 | 17.4% (±0.2 points) | 11.7% |
| Homes built in the 1950s | 13.8% (±0.1 points) | 9.5% |
| Homes built in the 1960s | 12.8% (±0.1 points) | 9.9% |
| Homes built in the 1970s | 12.3% (±0.1 points) | 14.2% |
Licenses for painters in New Jersey
New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E)
- OSHA scaffolds (29 CFR part 1926, subpart L)
- OSHA hazard communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)
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 New Jersey
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Questions about New Jersey
How much do painters make in New Jersey?
The median pay for painters in New Jersey is $60,290 a year, against $48,660 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
How many painters work in New Jersey?
4,230 people work as painters in New Jersey, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.
How many painting and wall covering contractor businesses are in New Jersey?
The Census Bureau counts 1,046 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in New Jersey (2023 County Business Patterns).
Do painters need a license in New Jersey?
New Jersey 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 New Jersey requires and the agency that issues it.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023
- License Finder: painters in New Jersey (US Department of Labor, CareerOneStop)
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E)
- OSHA scaffolds (29 CFR part 1926, subpart L)
- OSHA hazard communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)
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 .