Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary
The median pay for a painting, coating, and decorating workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI is $40,240/year ($19.34/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.3), that's roughly $40,120 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,411/month, about 51.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $40K actually covers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Detroit-Warren-Dearborn’s Regional Price Parity (100.3). 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Painting, coating, and decorating workers pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,411/month, which is 51.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.3) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for painting, coating, and decorating workers in metros near Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $44K | $46K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $50K | $55K |
| Fort Wayne | $37K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Entry-level painting, coating, and decorating workers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $31K 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 annually. We'll email you when Detroit-Warren-Dearborn numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a painting, coating, and decorating worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 51.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,411/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new painting, coating, and decorating workers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,250/month. At HUD’s $1,411/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare to the national average for painting, coating, and decorating workers?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do painting, coating, and decorating workers make in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The median is $40,240 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,800, and experienced painting, coating, and decorating workers can clear $63,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,722/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,411/month, which eats 51.8% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn has a Regional Price Parity of 100.3 (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 $40,120 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.