Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 71.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,882/month.

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $40K nationally, a 5% difference.

Colorado pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +5%.

The median is $42,470 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,370, and experienced helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons can clear $46,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,858/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 71.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons salary is worth about $42,470 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.