What are the main factors that influence an Automotive Painter's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An Automotive Painter's salary?

An Automotive Painter's salary grows with experience: an Automotive Mechanic I (0-1 years)earns $48,712, an Automotive Mechanic II (1-3 years)earns $54,991, an Automotive Painter (3-5 years)earns $61,442, an Automotive Mechanic IV (5-7 years)earns $67,229,

What are the highest paying states for an Automotive Painter?

Automotive Painter salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Automotive Painter roles are District of Columbia $68,437, California $68,177, Massachusetts $67,269. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Automotive Painter roles make?

Salaries for Automotive Painter level roles vary by specialization: Painter, Senior: $58,690; Painter III: $58,659; Painter: $52,579; Painter, Experienced: $52,303; Intermediate Painter: $52,290.

How do different companies affect an Automotive Painter's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Automotive Painter roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Automotive Painter Salary in the United States

How much does an Automotive Painter make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Automotive Painter in the United States is $61,811 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, an Automotive Painter's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,386
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $56,169 to $66,823
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $51,032

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Automotive Painter Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$66,823	$5,569	$1,285	$32
Average	$61,811	$5,151	$1,189	$30
25th Percentile	$56,169	$4,681	$1,080	$27

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Key Factors That Influence Automotive Painter Salaries

An Automotive Painter's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Automotive Painter Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Automotive Painters. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $68,437.
California: $68,177.
Massachusetts: $67,269.

District of Columbia $68,437 California $68,177 Massachusetts $67,269 Washington $67,022 New Jersey $66,997 Alaska $66,910 Connecticut $66,057 New York $65,711

Hawaii $64,605 Rhode Island $64,086 Maryland $63,733 Minnesota $63,251 Colorado $63,066 Illinois $63,004 Oregon $62,769 Delaware $62,596

New Hampshire $62,487 Virginia $62,244 Pennsylvania $61,533 Nevada $61,174 North Dakota $61,057 Michigan $60,871 Wisconsin $60,803 Vermont $60,667

Texas $60,290 Maine $60,266 Arizona $60,229 Ohio $60,185 Georgia $59,617 Indiana $59,332 Wyoming $59,277 Utah $59,190

Iowa $59,153 Kansas $58,856 Louisiana $58,770 North Carolina $58,739 Missouri $58,727 Florida $58,485 Montana $58,356 Nebraska $58,232

Kentucky $58,164 South Carolina $57,917 Tennessee $57,762 Idaho $57,700 New Mexico $57,249 Oklahoma $57,150 Alabama $56,786 South Dakota $56,174

Arkansas $55,840 West Virginia $55,661 Mississippi $55,123

Top Paying Cities for Automotive Painters

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $77,962
San Francisco: $77,108
Oakland: $75,483

San Jose, CA $77,962

San Francisco, CA $77,108

Oakland, CA $75,483

New York, NY $71,168

Paramus, NJ $70,303

Queens Village, NY $70,300

Passaic, NJ $70,241

Bergenfield, NJ $70,236

Stamford, CT $70,100

Huntington, NY $70,074

Newark, NJ $69,618

Bridgeport, CT $69,487

Vallejo, CA $69,364

New Brunswick, NJ $69,339

Petaluma, CA $69,302

Middlesex, NJ $69,185

Somerset, NJ $69,142

Santa Cruz, CA $69,061

Boston, MA $68,684

Monterey, CA $68,467

Seattle, WA $68,326

Santa Rosa, CA $68,313

Los Angeles, CA $68,295

Juneau, AK $68,134

Washington, DC $68,066

Orange, CA $67,846

Santa Ana, CA $67,683

Long Beach, CA $67,621

Anaheim, CA $67,609

Anchorage, AK $67,578

Santa Maria, CA $67,392

Everett, WA $67,380

Danbury, CT $67,162

Bremerton, WA $67,077

Tacoma, WA $66,855

New Suffolk, NY $66,853

Sacramento, CA $66,836

Santa Barbara, CA $66,768

Trenton, NJ $66,700

San Diego, CA $66,700

Brockton, MA $66,632

Fairbanks, AK $66,481

Lompoc, CA $66,323

Lowell, MA $66,273

Ventura, CA $66,261

Nashua, NH $66,249

Stockton, CA $66,243

Modesto, CA $65,792

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,656

Olympia, WA $65,538

Kennewick, WA $65,538

New Haven, CT $65,513

Lawrence, MA $65,291

Hartford, CT $65,229

Riverside, CA $65,217

New Bedford, MA $65,155

Richland, WA $65,155

Bakersfield, CA $65,068

San Bernardino, CA $65,044

New Britain, CT $65,037

Atlantic City, NJ $65,037

New London, CT $65,013

Norwich, CT $64,994

Portsmouth, NH $64,982

Boulder, CO $64,851

Portland, OR $64,765

Worcester, MA $64,759

Minneapolis, MN $64,568

Philadelphia, PA $64,481

Honolulu, HI $64,277

Saint Paul, MN $64,247

Vineland, NJ $64,234

Providence, RI $64,055

Chicago, IL $63,875

Bellingham, WA $63,801

Springfield, MA $63,752

Baltimore, MD $63,733

Chico, CA $63,579

Pittsfield, MA $63,412

Manchester, NH $63,294

Spokane, WA $63,022

Denver, CO $63,016

Albany, NY $62,726

Troy, NY $62,701

Nassau, NY $62,635

Schenectady, NY $62,571

Wilmington, DE $62,522

Burlington, VT $62,435

Salem, OR $62,410

Portland, ME $62,219

Yakima, WA $62,157

Rochester, MN $61,965

Reno, NV $61,935

Fresno, CA $61,935

Milwaukee, WI $61,879

Detroit, MI $61,817

Ann Arbor, MI $61,807

Allentown, PA $61,799

Colorado Springs, CO $61,693

Syracuse, NY $61,663

Carson City, NV $61,663

Houston, TX $61,576

Eugene, OR $61,545

Gary, IN $61,471

Springfield, OR $61,421

Bismarck, ND $61,409

Galveston, TX $61,366

Medford, OR $61,273

Fort Collins, CO $61,248

Concord, NH $61,218

Austin, TX $61,199

Mesa, AZ $61,069

Reading, PA $61,063

Phoenix, AZ $61,057

Dallas, TX $61,038

Saint Cloud, MN $60,979

Madison, WI $60,896

Utica, NY $60,729

Rochester, NY $60,630

Des Moines, IA $60,624

Raleigh, NC $60,618

Atlanta, GA $60,525

Battle Creek, MI $60,507

Salt Lake City, UT $60,488

Lancaster, PA $60,395

Harrisburg, PA $60,309

Kansas City, MO $60,247

Champaign, IL $60,235

Kansas City, KS $60,235

Fort Worth, TX $60,229

Columbus, OH $60,218

Boca Raton, FL $60,204

Pittsburgh, PA $60,179

Richmond, VA $60,154

Indianapolis, IN $60,142

Cleveland, OH $60,136

Las Vegas, NV $60,062

Cincinnati, OH $60,062

Petersburg, VA $59,969

Huntsville, AL $59,876

Lansing, MI $59,835

Lebanon, PA $59,827

Pueblo, CO $59,821

Appleton, WI $59,802

Buffalo, NY $59,777

Dayton, OH $59,759

Racine, WI $59,746

Charlotte, NC $59,740

Saint Louis, MO $59,722

York, PA $59,685

Elkhart, IN $59,685

Gastonia, NC $59,673

Billings, MT $59,658

Beaumont, TX $59,641

Lorain, OH $59,629

Benton Harbor, MI $59,617

Toledo, OH $59,604

Binghamton, NY $59,573

Rock Hill, SC $59,567

Rockford, IL $59,536

Springfield, IL $59,512

Elyria, OH $59,505

Fargo, ND $59,505

Flagstaff, AZ $59,462

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,425

Duluth, MN $59,388

Miami, FL $59,388

Cheyenne, WY $59,345

Grand Forks, ND $59,345

Bangor, ME $59,209

Cedar Rapids, IA $59,141

Durham, NC $59,115

Louisville, KY $59,110

Grand Rapids, MI $59,097

Hialeah, FL $59,091

Casper, WY $59,005

Scranton, PA $58,931

New Orleans, LA $58,912

Virginia Beach, VA $58,906

Akron, OH $58,875

Peoria, IL $58,795

Sarasota, FL $58,782

Nashville, TN $58,739

Omaha, NE $58,739

Green Bay, WI $58,739

Baton Rouge, LA $58,708

Charleston, SC $58,696

Jamestown, NY $58,665

Davenport, IA $58,665

Tucson, AZ $58,634

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,597

Tampa, FL $58,584

Evansville, IN $58,547

Port Arthur, TX $58,547

Bradenton, FL $58,523

Santa Fe, NM $58,411

Orlando, FL $58,300

Clearwater, FL $58,281

Canton, OH $58,152

La Crosse, WI $58,152

Albuquerque, NM $58,115

Newport News, VA $58,108

High Point, NC $58,090

Ogden, UT $58,065

Corpus Christi, TX $58,016

Norfolk, VA $57,979

Laramie, WY $57,979

Rock Island, IL $57,942

Saginaw, MI $57,929

Jacksonville, FL $57,923

Salisbury, NC $57,911

Boise, ID $57,898

Moline, IL $57,867

Fort Myers, FL $57,849

Memphis, TN $57,836

Tulsa, OK $57,806

Waterloo, IA $57,768

Spartanburg, SC $57,707

Lincoln, NE $57,676

Fort Wayne, IN $57,663

Provo, UT $57,657

Cedar Falls, IA $57,583

San Antonio, TX $57,558

Greensboro, NC $57,534

South Bend, IN $57,527

Savannah, GA $57,459

Muskegon, MI $57,435

Birmingham, AL $57,429

Winston Salem, NC $57,398

Lake Charles, LA $57,249

Anderson, IN $57,237

Lexington, KY $57,218

Augusta, GA $57,200

Greenville, SC $57,200

Lima, OH $57,150

Wichita, KS $57,144

Tuscaloosa, AL $57,144

Columbia, SC $57,089

Springfield, OH $57,076

Asheville, NC $56,977

Bloomington, IN $56,934

Knoxville, TN $56,712

Shreveport, LA $56,705

Wilmington, NC $56,625

Roanoke, VA $56,625

Topeka, KS $56,514

Frankfort, KY $56,507

Oklahoma City, OK $56,464

Chillicothe, OH $56,440

Longview, TX $56,433

Melbourne, FL $56,427

Sioux Falls, SD $56,328

Mobile, AL $56,322

Terre Haute, IN $56,297

Altoona, PA $56,260

Amarillo, TX $56,217

Killeen, TX $56,198

Fayetteville, AR $56,149

Chattanooga, TN $56,130

Sioux City, IA $56,075

Idaho Falls, ID $56,062

Lynchburg, VA $56,013

Gainesville, FL $55,933

Portsmouth, OH $55,902

Little Rock, AR $55,889

Lafayette, LA $55,865

Youngstown, OH $55,865

Daytona Beach, FL $55,828

Clarksville, TN $55,821

Pensacola, FL $55,815

Temple, TX $55,811

Hopkinsville, KY $55,630

Erie, PA $55,617

Florence, SC $55,593

Charleston, WV $55,494

Great Falls, MT $55,463

Macon, GA $55,376

Tallahassee, FL $55,370

Fayetteville, NC $55,358

Waco, TX $55,345

Helena, MT $55,302

Pine Bluff, AR $55,279

Vincennes, IN $55,203

Lubbock, TX $55,179

Alamogordo, NM $55,142

Twin Falls, ID $55,086

Rapid City, SD $55,067

Jackson, MS $54,956

Huntington, WV $54,952

Greenville, MS $54,950

Parkersburg, WV $54,887

Montgomery, AL $54,876

Wichita Falls, TX $54,814

Springfield, MO $54,814

Biloxi, MS $54,783

Monroe, LA $54,721

Johnstown, PA $54,678

Sumter, SC $54,653

Columbus, GA $54,647

Pascagoula, MS $54,530

Abilene, TX $54,530

Kingsport, TN $54,369

Albany, GA $54,369

Gulfport, MS $54,350

Alexandria, LA $54,146

Fort Smith, AR $53,992

El Paso, TX $53,825

Las Cruces, NM $53,547

Harlingen, TX $53,390

Pocatello, ID $53,380

Florence, AL $53,300

Brownsville, TX $53,287

Mcallen, TX $53,157

Dothan, AL $53,071

Columbus, MS $52,704

Altus, OK $52,416

Lawton, OK $52,298

Pierre, SD $52,076

What Skills Can Increase an Automotive Painter's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 9.61% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Retail Operations (Mentioned in 3.81% Job Postings): Retail operations is the term used to describe all the activities that keep the store functioning well. Goal is to increase gross profit margin to ensure keeping more money on each sale.
Wholesale (Mentioned in 1.93% Job Postings): Buying and selling products in large quantities at a lower price to increase profitability through a high sales volume.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	9.61%
Retail Operations	3.81%
Wholesale	1.93%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Automotive Painter's salary.

Territory Management: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Bidding: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Territory Management	$75,409	22%
Bidding	$67,374	9%
Initiative	$65,520	6%
Oral Communication	$64,901	5%
Collaboration	$64,283	4%
Partnering	$63,665	3%

Get Latest Data

Automotive Painter Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Automotive Painter roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Automotive Painter positions in Retail & Wholesale or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Automotive Painter as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Automotive Painter

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense	$74,173	$36.0	20%
Biotechnology	$74,173	$36.0	20%
Financial Services	$74,173	$36.0	20%
Healthcare	$74,173	$36.0	20%

How Education impacts an Automotive Painter's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Automotive Painters enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Automotive Painter with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $60,121 and $64,492).

Automotive Painter Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Automotive Painter

No Diploma 1.3%

High School 62.8%

Associates 28.1%

Bachelors 4.8%

Masters 2.2%

Doctorate 0.9%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.3%
High School	62.8%
Associates	28.1%
Bachelors	4.8%
Masters	2.2%
Doctorate	0.9%

view as graph

Automotive Painter Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Automotive Painter's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$56,169

Average $61,811/year

$66,823

$4,681

Average $5,151/month

$5,569

$1,080

Average $1,189/week

$1,285

$27

Average $30/hour

$32

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$66,823	$5,569	$1,285	$32
Average	$61,811	$5,151	$1,189	$30
25th Percentile	$56,169	$4,681	$1,080	$27

Salaries of jobs related to Automotive Painter

Salary Trends for Automotive Painter

Salaries for an Automotive Painter can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $52,427 in 2023 to around $51,770 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Automotive Painter salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Automotive Painter Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$52,427

2024

$52,160

2025

$51,770

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$52,427
2024	$52,160
2025	$51,770
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Automotive Painter

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FAQ about Automotive Painter

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Automotive Painter?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Automotive Painter roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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