Painters in New York: licensing, jobs, pay and local data

14,670 people work as painters in New York, and the median pay is $56,020 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 2,579 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in New York (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 3.0 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 2.7 nationally.

New York ranks 11 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 19 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
14,670
Median pay, a year
$56,020
Businesses with employees
2,579

Painters in New York: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
New YorkUnited States
Businesses with employees2,57938,280
Their employees10,664208,201
Annual payroll$622,342,000$11,485,346,000
Payroll per employee$58,359$55,165
Businesses per 10,000 homes3.02.7
Jobs14,670224,180
Jobs per 1,000 jobs1.54—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)1.061.00

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

What painters earn in New York

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
New YorkUnited States
Median pay, a year$56,020$48,660
Median pay, an hour$26.93$23.40
10th percentile$35,480$36,680
25th percentile$45,810$42,510
75th percentile$62,680$60,270
90th percentile$96,350$76,550
Average pay, a year$59,180$53,710

Painters by county in New York

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Suffolk County4171,3127.2
Queens County3421,5183.8
Westchester County2691,2436.8
Nassau County2411,0405.0
Kings County1846061.7
Erie County1286502.9
Monroe County1004312.9
New York County959091.0
Rockland County822537.5
Bronx County712521.3
Richmond County683483.7
Onondaga County652833.1
Orange County521113.5
Dutchess County35912.8
Putnam County301787.8
Saratoga County301142.7
Niagara County271272.7
Albany County26731.8
Rensselaer County21902.8
Ulster County21712.4
Ontario County18743.4
Oneida County15861.4
Chautauqua County13482.0
Oswego County13162.4
Broome County12581.3
Clinton County12453.2
Columbia County12253.6
Schenectady County12281.7
Warren County12323.0
Cattaraugus County10472.5
Jefferson County10271.6
Tompkins County10272.1
Wayne County10302.3
Genesee County9433.4
Greene County8202.8
Sullivan County8381.6
Livingston County7322.6
Washington County7252.4
Cortland County6282.9
Madison County6182.0
St. Lawrence County6351.2
Cayuga County5181.4
Chemung County5521.3
Franklin County542.0
Montgomery County542.2
Delaware County4101.3
Fulton County4361.4
Lewis County4122.6
Tioga County4101.8
Wyoming County452.2
Orleans County381.6
Yates County352.3

The homes behind the work in New York

Estimate (90% margin of error)
New YorkUnited States
Homes built before 194030.3% (±0.1 points)11.7%
Homes built in the 1950s14.1% (±0.1 points)9.5%
Homes built in the 1960s12.1% (±0.1 points)9.9%
Homes built in the 1970s9.8% (±0.1 points)14.2%

Licenses for painters in New York

New York 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 York 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.

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Questions about New York

How much do painters make in New York?

The median pay for painters in New York is $56,020 a year, against $48,660 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many painters work in New York?

14,670 people work as painters in New York, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

How many painting and wall covering contractor businesses are in New York?

The Census Bureau counts 2,579 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in New York (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do painters need a license in New York?

New York 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 York 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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