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Current BLS California employee wages for Painters, Construction and Maintenance, SOC 47-2141; employee wages exclude premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Salary Guides / California
California painter employee wages help you assess preparation duties, coating experience, paid hours and the benefits accompanying an offer.
California construction and maintenance painter wages span $20.26–$43.75/hr, or $42,130–$91,000 a year. These employee figures exclude premium pay and benefits. Compare offers for the same work, including preparation, application and cleanup. A crew painting new walls has different assignments from one containing dust during an older home's renovation. Ask which tasks and equipment the employer expects you to handle. Include the required safety training in that discussion.
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
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$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
These national sector figures describe painter employees within three construction settings. For California offers, compare duties and paid time alongside the statewide bands.
Homebuilding and remodeling employers need painters who protect adjacent finishes and coordinate preparation with household access. Ask about occupied rooms. When comparing written offers, discuss room sequencing and responsibility for protecting belongings before judging the hourly range.
Commercial building crews coordinate painting with other trades and completion deadlines. Discuss access equipment, work areas and responsibility for final touchups. A clear assignment helps you compare an offer for brushwork with one requiring spraying and work from elevated platforms.
Specialist painting firms handle preparation and coating systems across buildings. Ask how they allocate sanding, spraying and travel between changing jobsites. Record which preparation tasks the offer includes and equipment responsibilities.
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IUPAT DC 36 Painters Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$11.03 | $22,942 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| PDCA Painting and Decorating Apprenticeship - Cerritos College (journeyperson) | +$5.53 | $11,502 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.78 | $1,622 | $159 | 6 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.26 | $541 | $59 | 6 weeks |
| EPA Lead RRP Certified Renovator (Initial) | +$0.21 | $437 | $203 | 25 weeks |
| CSLB Contractor License (C-33) - Painting and Decorating | +$0.47 | $978 | $719 | 39 weeks |
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $28.38/hr.
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
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