TRADEXP

Painter Salary in Fresno, CA

U.S. median $48,660/yr ($23.40/hr)

If you paint for a living in Fresno, California, your rate is set by the mix of union shops, big commercial jobs, and prevailing-wage public work nearby. See the real, up-to-date local painter pay below.

Checking live local pay...

National benchmarks

Median$48,660/yr ($23.40/hr)
Hourly range$17.63 to $36.80/hr
Bottom 10%under $36,680/yr (about $17.63/hr)
Top 10%over $76,550/yr (about $36.80/hr)

Local pay in Fresno moves with cost of living, union presence, and demand. The live figure above reflects what Fresno employers are posting right now.

Pay by experience

Apprentice / EntryFirst-year and helper painters cluster near the BLS bottom 10 percent of $36,680. In a union apprenticeship you typically start around 50 to 55 percent of journeyman scale and get a raise every six months as you log hours and classroom time.$33,000 to $42,000/yr ($16 to $20/hr)
Journeyman / MidA painter who can run a job start to finish sits right around the national median of $48,660. Open-shop journeymen land in the low-to-mid $20s per hour, while union journeymen in most markets clear $29 to $35 an hour on base scale before benefits.$45,000 to $58,000/yr ($22 to $28/hr)
Experienced / MasterPainters with a specialty (spray, industrial coatings, high-end finishes) or a high-cost or union market reach the top 10 percent, which BLS puts at over $76,550. IUPAT journeyman scale in expensive metros runs into the low-to-mid $40s per hour before fringe benefits.$62,000 to $80,000+/yr ($30 to $38+/hr)
Foreman / ContractorCrew foremen and superintendents earn a scale premium plus steady overtime. Painting contractors who own the business and carry their own crews can clear six figures in profit in a strong market, though income swings with jobs booked and season.$75,000 to $110,000+/yr

Painter jobs in Fresno

See Painter jobs hiring in Fresno with pay shown upfront.

Painter pay in nearby cities

Los Angeles, CASan Diego, CASan Jose, CASan Francisco, CA

Painter pay in Fresno: FAQs

How much do painters make?

Painters, construction and maintenance earned a median of $48,660 a year, about $23.40 an hour, as of May 2024 according to the BLS. The lowest 10 percent made under $36,680 and the top 10 percent made over $76,550. Union membership, industrial work, and high-cost states all push pay toward the top of that range.

How much do painters make an hour?

The median painter wage is $23.40 an hour as of May 2024. Entry-level and helper painters often start around $16 to $20 an hour, experienced painters run into the low $30s, and union journeymen in strong markets can hit the low-to-mid $40s per hour before benefits.

Do painters make good money?

They can. The typical painter earns a solid middle-class wage of around $48,660 with no college required, and the work is steady with about 28,100 openings a year. The painters who make good money go union, pick up spray and industrial coating skills, and chase commercial and prevailing-wage jobs rather than only residential repaint.

What are the highest-paying painting jobs?

The best pay comes from union journeyman work, industrial and infrastructure coatings (bridges, tanks, structural steel) that reward SSPC or NACE certifications, and prevailing-wage public projects. By location, New York, Hawaii, and Illinois pay the most, and metros like New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area average over $62,000 a year.

Can you make $100k a year as a painter?

Yes, though it is not the norm. The top 10 percent of employed painters make over $76,550, and crossing $100,000 usually takes a foreman or superintendent role with heavy overtime, high-scale union industrial work in an expensive metro, or owning a painting business with your own crew and customers.