Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary
The median pay for a painting, coating, and decorating workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is $57,000/year ($27.4/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $52,646 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 78.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About painting, coating, and decorating workers
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits well above the national pay line for painting, coating, and decorating workers, local pay runs about 37% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 78.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for painting, coating, and decorating workers in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $73K | $65K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $40K | $37K |
| Rochester | $38K | $39K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $38K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level painting, coating, and decorating workers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $61K | +47% | 90 |
| Nevada | $60K | +45% | N/A |
| Colorado | $54K | +30% | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $54K | +30% | 210 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +25% | 90 |
| Connecticut | $51K | +22% | 50 |
| Ohio | $49K | +18% | 230 |
| Missouri | $49K | +17% | 140 |
| New York | $49K | +17% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +16% | 230 |
| Maryland | $47K | +14% | 50 |
| Virginia | $47K | +13% | 290 |
| Iowa | $47K | +12% | 100 |
| Georgia | $46K | +11% | 60 |
| Idaho | $45K | +8% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $44K | +5% | 140 |
| Minnesota | $44K | +5% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $43K | +3% | 170 |
| Kentucky | $42K | +1% | 200 |
| Illinois | $42K | +1% | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | +0% | 180 |
| California | $42K | +0% | N/A |
| Indiana | $41K | -1% | 490 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -3% | 50 |
| Kansas | $39K | -5% | 90 |
| Michigan | $39K | -7% | 140 |
| Utah | $38K | -8% | 70 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -8% | 50 |
| Florida | $37K | -10% | 720 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -11% | 60 |
| Arizona | $37K | -11% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -12% | 100 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -15% | 200 |
| Montana | $35K | -16% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $33K | -20% | 70 |
| Texas | $32K | -22% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $32K | -24% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 37 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track painting, coating, and decorating workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Boston-Cambridge-Newton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a painting, coating, and decorating worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 78.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for painting, coating, and decorating workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new painting, coating, and decorating workers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,673/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 110% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is painting, coating, and decorating worker a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Local pay is 37% above the national median — $57K here vs. $42K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 8% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for painting, coating, and decorating workers?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +37%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do painting, coating, and decorating workers make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $57,000 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,550, and experienced painting, coating, and decorating workers can clear $66,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,749/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 78.4% 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.
How far does a painting, coating, and decorating workers salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median painting, coating, and decorating workers salary is worth about $52,646 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do painting, coating, and decorating workers get paid the most?
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.