SOC 51-9123 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary in Washington, DC

The average salary for painting, coating, and decorating workers in Washington, Washington, D.C. is $54,400 a year ($26.15 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $53,290: half of the 60 people in this job in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% more than the U.S. average for this job ($45,210).

$54,400average per year

$26.15 / hourMedian $53,290Take-home ≈ $43,792

  • $44K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $53KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $71K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

60people in this job
+20%vs U.S. average
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers pay range in Washington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,710 a year or less, while the top 10% make $71,490 or more. The middle half of painting, coating, and decorating workers in Washington earn between $45,860 and $61,110.

  • $44K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $53KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $71K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$54,400$4,533$26.15
Median$53,290$4,441$25.62
Entry level (25th percentile)$45,860$3,822$22.05
Experienced (75th percentile)$61,110$5,092$29.38

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers pay in Washington vs. Washington, D.C. and the U.S.

Painting, coating, and decorating workers in Washington earn 20% more than the U.S. average ($45,210). At the median the gap is +28% against the U.S. median of $41,600.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Washington$54,400$53,290$43,710$71,49060
United States$45,210$41,600$31,470$60,8207,940

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary after taxes in Washington

On the average salary of $54,400, a single filer in Washington takes home about $43,792 a year, or $3,649 a month and $1,684 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in WV$44,261$3,688
Working in DC$43,792$3,649
Working in VA$43,576$3,631
Working in MD$43,518$3,627

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Washington, D.C. paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Washington a good place for painting, coating, and decorating workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Washington area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.9), so the average $54,400 buys what about $49,961 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Washington ($71,060). A typical home costs $583,013, or 10.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $54,400 is worth in another city

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for painting, coating, and decorating workers

New York, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($66,300).

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary by city

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Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary in Washington: questions

How much do painting, coating, and decorating workers make an hour in Washington?

$26.15 an hour on average, and $25.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level painting, coating, and decorating workers salary in Washington?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,710 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,860, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the painting, coating, and decorating workers take-home pay in Washington?

About $43,792 a year ($3,649 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,400.

Do painting, coating, and decorating workers earn more in Washington than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% more than the U.S. average for this job ($45,210).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-9123; area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (47900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.34, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.34).

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