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

5,300 people work as painters in Virginia, and the median pay is $44,670 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 1,017 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in Virginia (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 2.8 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 2.7 nationally.

Virginia ranks 43 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 21 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
5,300
Median pay, a year
$44,670
Businesses with employees
1,017

Painters in Virginia: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
VirginiaUnited States
Businesses with employees1,01738,280
Their employees6,137208,201
Annual payroll$284,076,000$11,485,346,000
Payroll per employee$46,289$55,165
Businesses per 10,000 homes2.82.7
Jobs5,300224,180
Jobs per 1,000 jobs1.30—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)0.901.00

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

What painters earn in Virginia

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
VirginiaUnited States
Median pay, a year$44,670$48,660
Median pay, an hour$21.48$23.40
10th percentile$35,160$36,680
25th percentile$38,040$42,510
75th percentile$49,220$60,270
90th percentile$58,760$76,550
Average pay, a year$45,440$53,710

Painters by county in Virginia

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Fairfax County1376063.2
Prince William County761,5204.7
Chesterfield County752515.1
Virginia Beach city722923.8
Loudoun County512793.5
Henrico County492703.4
Chesapeake city352563.6
Newport News city331664.0
Richmond city262462.3
Albemarle County251145.1
Hanover County20834.5
Norfolk city162061.5
Stafford County15232.7
Arlington County14261.1
York County13534.6
Fauquier County12814.2
Roanoke city12212.4
Bedford County11212.9
James City County11463.2
Spotsylvania County11492.0
Manassas city11267.6
Powhatan County10578.3
Augusta County9372.7
Roanoke County9362.1
Lynchburg city9352.6
Franklin County8462.8
Rockingham County8192.2
Warren County8504.7
Manassas Park city85114.4
Frederick County7371.9
Montgomery County7171.6
Pittsylvania County7152.4
Hampton city72611.1
Harrisonburg city7443.7
Portsmouth city7911.6
Gloucester County6193.5
Greene County6246.8
Isle of Wight County6203.5
Page County655.0
Alexandria city61390.7
Charlottesville city6362.8
Campbell County5202.0
Orange County5113.1
Amherst County482.8
Appomattox County465.4
Botetourt County4272.7
Culpeper County4122.0
Fluvanna County453.5
Rockbridge County4153.5
Hopewell city4283.8
Suffolk city4271.0
Amelia County345.2
Clarke County364.6
Halifax County3131.7
King George County332.8
King William County383.9
Louisa County361.6
Nelson County383.0
Westmoreland County3132.6
Petersburg city381.7

Showing the 60 counties with the most businesses, of 62.

The homes behind the work in Virginia

Estimate (90% margin of error)
VirginiaUnited States
Homes built before 19407.0% (±0.1 points)11.7%
Homes built in the 1950s8.0% (±0.1 points)9.5%
Homes built in the 1960s10.0% (±0.1 points)9.9%
Homes built in the 1970s14.3% (±0.1 points)14.2%

Licenses for painters in Virginia

Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia

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Questions about Virginia

How much do painters make in Virginia?

The median pay for painters in Virginia is $44,670 a year, against $48,660 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many painters work in Virginia?

5,300 people work as painters in Virginia, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

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

The Census Bureau counts 1,017 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in Virginia (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do painters need a license in Virginia?

Virginia 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 Virginia 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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