Painters in Washington: licensing, jobs, pay and local data
8,820 people work as painters in Washington, and the median pay is $58,520 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
The Census Bureau counts 1,809 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in Washington (2023 County Business Patterns).
That is 5.5 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 2.7 nationally.
Washington ranks 7 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.
It ranks 3 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.
Figures last updated on .
- Jobs
- 8,820
- Median pay, a year
- $58,520
- Businesses with employees
- 1,809
Painters in Washington: businesses and jobs
| Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses with employees | 1,809 | 38,280 |
| Their employees | 9,144 | 208,201 |
| Annual payroll | $511,258,000 | $11,485,346,000 |
| Payroll per employee | $55,912 | $55,165 |
| Businesses per 10,000 homes | 5.5 | 2.7 |
| Jobs | 8,820 | 224,180 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs | 2.49 | — |
| Location quotient (1.00 = the national share) | 1.71 | 1.00 |
A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.
What painters earn in Washington
| Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay, a year | $58,520 | $48,660 |
| Median pay, an hour | $28.13 | $23.40 |
| 10th percentile | $43,910 | $36,680 |
| 25th percentile | $48,260 | $42,510 |
| 75th percentile | $65,830 | $60,270 |
| 90th percentile | $79,510 | $76,550 |
| Average pay, a year | $59,720 | $53,710 |
Painters by county in Washington
| County | Businesses with employees | Their employees | Businesses per 10,000 homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| King County | 531 | 3,367 | 5.3 |
| Snohomish County | 269 | 1,148 | 8.1 |
| Pierce County | 196 | 866 | 5.3 |
| Clark County | 123 | 525 | 6.0 |
| Spokane County | 116 | 556 | 5.0 |
| Thurston County | 64 | 341 | 5.1 |
| Whatcom County | 64 | 224 | 6.2 |
| Kitsap County | 57 | 349 | 4.9 |
| Benton County | 50 | 268 | 6.0 |
| Skagit County | 37 | 316 | 6.5 |
| Yakima County | 34 | 250 | 3.7 |
| Island County | 30 | 72 | 7.0 |
| Chelan County | 29 | 144 | 7.5 |
| Franklin County | 24 | 177 | 7.7 |
| Clallam County | 20 | 48 | 5.2 |
| San Juan County | 19 | 46 | 13.6 |
| Cowlitz County | 18 | 33 | 3.9 |
| Douglas County | 16 | 59 | 8.9 |
| Kittitas County | 14 | 65 | 5.7 |
| Grant County | 12 | 23 | 3.0 |
| Walla Walla County | 12 | 77 | 4.7 |
| Jefferson County | 11 | 23 | 5.6 |
| Lewis County | 10 | 24 | 2.7 |
| Stevens County | 9 | 16 | 4.0 |
| Grays Harbor County | 8 | 20 | 2.2 |
| Mason County | 8 | 42 | 2.3 |
| Whitman County | 8 | 29 | 3.6 |
| Pacific County | 5 | 7 | 3.1 |
| Asotin County | 4 | 11 | 3.9 |
| Okanogan County | 4 | 6 | 1.8 |
The homes behind the work in Washington
| Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1940 | 9.6% (±0.1 points) | 11.7% |
| Homes built in the 1950s | 6.7% (±0.1 points) | 9.5% |
| Homes built in the 1960s | 8.7% (±0.1 points) | 9.9% |
| Homes built in the 1970s | 14.2% (±0.2 points) | 14.2% |
Licenses for painters in Washington
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington
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Questions about Washington
How much do painters make in Washington?
The median pay for painters in Washington is $58,520 a year, against $48,660 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
How many painters work in Washington?
8,820 people work as painters in Washington, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.
How many painting and wall covering contractor businesses are in Washington?
The Census Bureau counts 1,809 painting and wall covering contractor businesses with employees in Washington (2023 County Business Patterns).
Do painters need a license in Washington?
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington (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 .