Painter Salary in Chicago, Illinois — 2026 Data
Painters in Chicago, Illinois earn an average of $70,720 per year ($34.00 per hour). The median (50th percentile) wage is $61,740 per year. That is 28% above the national average of $55,420. Data updated August 2026.
Methodology: Wage figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release data vintage (survey reference period May 2025), mapped from SOC occupation 47-2141 Painters, Construction and Maintenance to the job title "Painter". Values are measured survey estimates for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area (MSA) — not modeled or interpolated. Year-over-year comparisons use the May 2024 OEWS release. The year shown in page titles is the publication and update year, not the data vintage.
Painter Pay in Chicago at a Glance
| Average (mean) annual salary | $70,720 |
|---|---|
| Average (mean) hourly rate | $34.00 per hour |
| Median (50th percentile) annual | $61,740 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.68 per hour |
| Entry-level pay (10th percentile) | $44,560 |
| Senior-level pay (90th percentile) | $109,820 |
| National average | $55,420 |
| Employment (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN) | 5,480 workers |
| Data vintage | BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2141 |
Salary Percentiles for Painters in Chicago
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,560 | $21.42/hr |
| 25th percentile | $48,970 | $23.54/hr |
| 50th percentile (median) | $61,740 | $29.68/hr |
| 75th percentile | $95,850 | $46.08/hr |
| 90th percentile | $109,820 | $52.80/hr |
Explore More Painter Wage Data
Painter Salaries in Other Illinois Cities
- Painter salary in Urban Honolulu, HI — $70,560
- Painter salary in San Francisco, CA — $70,530
- Painter salary in New York, NY — $69,930
- Painter salary in Hartford, CT — $68,050
- Painter salary in Boston, MA — $64,910