How much do painters make in North Carolina in 2026?

Painters in North Carolina earn a median wage of $44,110 per year, which works out to about $21.21 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the number sitting right in the middle of what painters across the state actually take home — half earn more, half earn less.

The bottom quarter of painters in North Carolina — those at the 25th percentile — earn $37,090 per year, or roughly $17.83 per hour. If you're new to the trade, just licensed, or working in a slower regional market, this is a realistic starting range. It's a livable wage, but there's clear room to move up as you build skills and a track record.

Painters in the top quarter of earners hit $49,150 per year or higher, which comes to about $23.63 per hour. That's a gap of roughly $12,000 per year between the 25th and 75th percentile — a meaningful difference that reflects real variation in experience, specialty, and geography within the state.

There is no union scale currently available for painters in North Carolina, which means most workers in this trade negotiate individually or through employer pay scales rather than a collective bargaining agreement. That puts more weight on your ability to demonstrate value — your speed, quality, safety record, and willingness to take on tougher jobs like industrial coatings, lead abatement work, or commercial repaint contracts.

What moves a painter from the $17–$18/hr range toward $23–$24/hr and beyond? Specialty work is a major driver. Exterior painters who can handle multi-story residential or commercial buildings, those certified for lead-safe practices, and painters who cross-train in drywall finishing or light carpentry tend to command higher rates. Location within North Carolina also matters. Metro areas like Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham carry higher costs of living and generally support higher wages compared to rural counties. A painter in Wake County is more likely to land toward the top of the range than one in a smaller inland market.

Employer type plays a role too. Large commercial painting contractors on multi-year maintenance contracts with property management companies or industrial facilities typically pay more per hour than small residential outfits. If you're working residential repaint, you'll often see wages closer to the median. If you're on a commercial crew doing new construction or industrial maintenance, the 75th percentile and above is more achievable.

Hours and overtime are another factor that raw salary figures don't capture. Painters who stay busy through referral networks or keep themselves employed year-round — rather than dealing with seasonal slowdowns — will see their annual take-home push past what the median suggests. A painter consistently working 45–50 hours a week at even $20/hr clears over $50,000 once overtime pay is factored in.

North Carolina's construction sector has been active, particularly in the Charlotte metro and the Research Triangle, which means demand for skilled painters has stayed solid in those corridors. That said, the statewide median of $44,110 still trails what painters in higher-cost states like California or New York earn, so workers near the state borders sometimes cross over for better-paying projects.

All figures on this page come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. These are employer-reported wages covering employees — they do not capture what self-employed painting contractors bill out or net after business expenses.