What are the main factors that influence a Paint Prep Technician's salary?

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

How does experience change a Paint Prep Technician's salary?

A Paint Prep Technician's salary grows with experience: starting around $49,131 for beginners, reaching about $51,154 at mid-level, and approach $52,914 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Paint Prep Technician?

Paint Prep Technician salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Paint Prep Technician roles are District of Columbia $56,129, California $55,916, Massachusetts $55,170. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Paint Prep Technician roles make?

Salaries for Paint Prep Technician level roles vary by specialization: Media Prep Technician: $54,474; Automotive Paint Technician: $51,174; Paint and Body Technician: $50,340; Auto Paint Technician: $48,839; Auto Body Paint Technician: $47,322.

How do different companies affect a Paint Prep Technician's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Paint Prep Technician 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.

Paint Prep Technician Salary in the United States

How much does a Paint Prep Technician make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Paint Prep Technician in the United States is $50,694 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $24.

However, a Paint Prep Technician's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $57,144
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $44,073 to $54,070
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $38,044

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Paint Prep Technician Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$54,070	$4,506	$1,040	$26
Average	$50,694	$4,225	$975	$24
25th Percentile	$44,073	$3,673	$848	$21

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Key Factors That Influence Paint Prep Technician Salaries

A Paint Prep Technician'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 Experience Level Affects Paint Prep Technician Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Paint Prep Technician's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $49,131
Early Career (1-2 years): $49,315
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $51,154
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $52,411
Expert (over 8 years): $52,914

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Paint Prep Technician	$49,131
Intermediate Level Paint Prep Technician	$49,315
Senior Level Paint Prep Technician	$51,154
Specialist Level Paint Prep Technician	$52,411
Expert Level Paint Prep Technician	$52,914

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Paint Prep Technician 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 Paint Prep Technicians. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $56,129.
California: $55,916.
Massachusetts: $55,170.

District of Columbia $56,129

California $55,916

Massachusetts $55,170

Washington $54,968

New Jersey $54,947

Alaska $54,876

Connecticut $54,177

New York $53,893

Hawaii $52,986

Rhode Island $52,560

Maryland $52,271

Minnesota $51,875

Colorado $51,723

Illinois $51,673

Oregon $51,480

Delaware $51,338

New Hampshire $51,249

Virginia $51,049

Pennsylvania $50,466

Nevada $50,172

North Dakota $50,076

Michigan $49,924

Wisconsin $49,868

Vermont $49,756

Texas $49,447

Maine $49,427

Arizona $49,396

Ohio $49,361

Georgia $48,895

Indiana $48,661

Wyoming $48,616

Utah $48,545

Iowa $48,514

Kansas $48,271

Louisiana $48,200

North Carolina $48,175

Missouri $48,165

Florida $47,967

Montana $47,860

Nebraska $47,759

Kentucky $47,703

South Carolina $47,500

Tennessee $47,374

Idaho $47,323

New Mexico $46,953

Oklahoma $46,872

Alabama $46,573

South Dakota $46,071

Arkansas $45,797

West Virginia $45,650

Mississippi $45,209

Top Paying Cities for Paint Prep Technicians

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: $63,941
San Francisco: $63,312
Oakland: $61,908

San Jose, CA $63,941

San Francisco, CA $63,312

Oakland, CA $61,908

New York, NY $58,750

Queens Village, NY $58,369

Paramus, NJ $57,964

Passaic, NJ $57,913

Bergenfield, NJ $57,862

Stamford, CT $57,786

Huntington, NY $57,736

Newark, NJ $57,406

Bridgeport, CT $57,305

New Brunswick, NJ $57,137

Vallejo, CA $57,031

Middlesex, NJ $57,001

Somerset, NJ $56,955

Petaluma, CA $56,838

Santa Cruz, CA $56,641

Boston, MA $56,539

Monterey, CA $56,286

Fairbanks, AK $56,250

Los Angeles, CA $56,154

Washington, DC $56,129

Seattle, WA $56,037

Santa Rosa, CA $56,027

Juneau, AK $55,880

Orange, CA $55,713

Anchorage, AK $55,622

Anaheim, CA $55,586

Santa Ana, CA $55,510

Nassau, NY $55,480

Long Beach, CA $55,459

Danbury, CT $55,444

Santa Maria, CA $55,272

Everett, WA $55,262

Bremerton, WA $55,013

Trenton, NJ $54,917

Sacramento, CA $54,897

San Diego, CA $54,871

Brockton, MA $54,851

Tacoma, WA $54,831

Santa Barbara, CA $54,760

Lowell, MA $54,557

New Suffolk, NY $54,537

Nashua, NH $54,476

Lompoc, CA $54,395

Ventura, CA $54,344

Stockton, CA $54,329

New Haven, CT $54,228

Atlantic City, NJ $54,096

Hartford, CT $53,984

Modesto, CA $53,959

Poughkeepsie, NY $53,847

New Britain, CT $53,822

Olympia, WA $53,751

Kennewick, WA $53,751

New London, CT $53,741

Norwich, CT $53,726

Lawrence, MA $53,700

Bakersfield, CA $53,558

Riverside, CA $53,487

New Bedford, MA $53,487

Richland, WA $53,437

Portsmouth, NH $53,396

Vineland, NJ $53,386

San Bernardino, CA $53,346

Boulder, CO $53,204

Worcester, MA $53,163

Portland, OR $53,117

Saint Paul, MN $53,057

Minneapolis, MN $53,057

Philadelphia, PA $52,986

Honolulu, HI $52,717

Springfield, MA $52,539

Providence, RI $52,534

Chicago, IL $52,387

Bellingham, WA $52,327

Baltimore, MD $52,271

Chico, CA $52,144

Wilmington, DE $52,058

Pittsfield, MA $52,007

Manchester, NH $51,911

Spokane, WA $51,688

Denver, CO $51,683

Albany, NY $51,444

Troy, NY $51,424

Schenectady, NY $51,318

Burlington, VT $51,206

Portland, ME $51,029

Salem, OR $50,988

Yakima, WA $50,978

Ann Arbor, MI $50,963

Rochester, MN $50,821

Fresno, CA $50,796

Reno, NV $50,796

Milwaukee, WI $50,750

Detroit, MI $50,699

Allentown, PA $50,684

Carson City, NV $50,679

Houston, TX $50,603

Colorado Springs, CO $50,598

Syracuse, NY $50,573

Eugene, OR $50,476

Bismarck, ND $50,415

Gary, IN $50,415

Galveston, TX $50,415

Springfield, OR $50,375

Medford, OR $50,253

Fort Collins, CO $50,233

Austin, TX $50,192

Mesa, AZ $50,086

Phoenix, AZ $50,076

Dallas, TX $50,061

Reading, PA $50,030

Saint Cloud, MN $50,010

Concord, NH $49,964

Madison, WI $49,944

Utica, NY $49,807

Raleigh, NC $49,766

Las Vegas, NV $49,761

Rochester, NY $49,726

Des Moines, IA $49,721

Atlanta, GA $49,640

Battle Creek, MI $49,625

Salt Lake City, UT $49,609

Lancaster, PA $49,533

Champaign, IL $49,523

Harrisburg, PA $49,462

Durham, NC $49,417

Kansas City, MO $49,412

Kansas City, KS $49,401

Fort Worth, TX $49,396

Boca Raton, FL $49,376

Cleveland, OH $49,371

Columbus, OH $49,361

Pittsburgh, PA $49,356

Richmond, VA $49,336

Indianapolis, IN $49,325

Cincinnati, OH $49,260

Petersburg, VA $49,184

Billings, MT $49,072

Lansing, MI $49,072

Huntsville, AL $49,072

Lebanon, PA $49,067

Dayton, OH $49,062

Pueblo, CO $49,062

Appleton, WI $49,047

Buffalo, NY $49,026

Racine, WI $49,001

Charlotte, NC $48,996

Saint Louis, MO $48,981

Springfield, IL $48,960

Elkhart, IN $48,950

York, PA $48,950

Gastonia, NC $48,945

Benton Harbor, MI $48,945

Beaumont, TX $48,915

Lorain, OH $48,905

Toledo, OH $48,884

Binghamton, NY $48,859

Rock Hill, SC $48,854

Rockford, IL $48,829

Fargo, ND $48,803

Elyria, OH $48,803

Flagstaff, AZ $48,768

Fort Lauderdale, FL $48,737

Miami, FL $48,707

Duluth, MN $48,626

Bangor, ME $48,560

Cedar Rapids, IA $48,504

Louisville, KY $48,479

Grand Rapids, MI $48,469

Hialeah, FL $48,464

Casper, WY $48,393

Scranton, PA $48,332

New Orleans, LA $48,317

Virginia Beach, VA $48,312

Akron, OH $48,286

Peoria, IL $48,220

Sarasota, FL $48,210

Green Bay, WI $48,175

Baton Rouge, LA $48,149

Charleston, SC $48,139

Nashville, TN $48,124

Jamestown, NY $48,114

Davenport, IA $48,114

Tucson, AZ $48,089

Cheyenne, WY $48,073

Saint Petersburg, FL $48,058

Tampa, FL $48,048

Omaha, NE $48,038

Port Arthur, TX $48,018

Evansville, IN $48,018

Bradenton, FL $47,997

Santa Fe, NM $47,906

Orlando, FL $47,855

Clearwater, FL $47,800

Canton, OH $47,693

La Crosse, WI $47,693

Grand Forks, ND $47,678

Albuquerque, NM $47,663

Tulsa, OK $47,663

Newport News, VA $47,658

High Point, NC $47,642

Ogden, UT $47,622

Corpus Christi, TX $47,582

Laramie, WY $47,551

Norfolk, VA $47,551

Rock Island, IL $47,521

Saginaw, MI $47,511

Jacksonville, FL $47,506

Salisbury, NC $47,495

Memphis, TN $47,485

Moline, IL $47,460

Fort Myers, FL $47,445

Waterloo, IA $47,379

Spartanburg, SC $47,328

Lincoln, NE $47,303

Fort Wayne, IN $47,293

Birmingham, AL $47,237

Cedar Falls, IA $47,227

Provo, UT $47,222

Springfield, OH $47,217

San Antonio, TX $47,206

Greensboro, NC $47,186

South Bend, IN $47,181

Winston Salem, NC $47,176

Boise, ID $47,161

Savannah, GA $47,125

Muskegon, MI $47,034

Lima, OH $46,973

Lake Charles, LA $46,953

Anderson, IN $46,943

Lexington, KY $46,928

Augusta, GA $46,912

Greenville, SC $46,912

Wichita, KS $46,867

Tuscaloosa, AL $46,867

Columbia, SC $46,821

Bloomington, IN $46,694

Roanoke, VA $46,664

Asheville, NC $46,598

Knoxville, TN $46,512

Shreveport, LA $46,507

Wilmington, NC $46,441

Frankfort, KY $46,345

Oklahoma City, OK $46,309

Chillicothe, OH $46,289

Longview, TX $46,284

Topeka, KS $46,269

Mobile, AL $46,193

Terre Haute, IN $46,172

Erie, PA $46,167

Altoona, PA $46,142

Melbourne, FL $46,127

Amarillo, TX $46,106

Killeen, TX $46,091

Fayetteville, AR $46,051

Sioux Falls, SD $46,015

Chattanooga, TN $45,985

Idaho Falls, ID $45,980

Gainesville, FL $45,873

Portsmouth, OH $45,848

Little Rock, AR $45,838

Lynchburg, VA $45,838

Lafayette, LA $45,817

Youngstown, OH $45,817

Temple, TX $45,797

Daytona Beach, FL $45,787

Clarksville, TN $45,782

Pensacola, FL $45,777

Hopkinsville, KY $45,625

Charleston, WV $45,620

Florence, SC $45,594

Sioux City, IA $45,564

Macon, GA $45,417

Tallahassee, FL $45,412

Fayetteville, NC $45,402

Waco, TX $45,392

Wichita Falls, TX $45,392

Pine Bluff, AR $45,371

Vincennes, IN $45,275

Lubbock, TX $45,255

Great Falls, MT $45,224

Alamogordo, NM $45,219

Abilene, TX $45,179

Rapid City, SD $45,113

Monroe, LA $45,113

Albany, GA $45,082

Huntington, WV $45,077

Jackson, MS $45,072

Greenville, MS $45,067

Parkersburg, WV $45,016

Montgomery, AL $45,006

Johnstown, PA $44,996

Springfield, MO $44,956

Biloxi, MS $44,930

Sumter, SC $44,824

Columbus, GA $44,819

Twin Falls, ID $44,788

Pascagoula, MS $44,722

Kingsport, TN $44,591

Gulfport, MS $44,575

Alexandria, LA $44,408

Fort Smith, AR $44,281

El Paso, TX $44,145

Helena, MT $44,079

Las Cruces, NM $43,916

Harlingen, TX $43,774

Pocatello, ID $43,729

Florence, AL $43,714

Brownsville, TX $43,703

Dothan, AL $43,622

Mcallen, TX $43,597

Columbus, MS $43,222

Altus, OK $42,989

Lawton, OK $42,892

Pierre, SD $42,710

What Skills Can Increase a Paint Prep Technician's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Attention to Detail (Mentioned in 3.64% Job Postings): Executing and completing a task with a high level of accuracy.
Surface Preparation (Mentioned in 1.32% Job Postings): Treating the surface of a substance prior to application to increase its adhesion to coatings.
Material Handling (Mentioned in 0.76% Job Postings): Material handling involves short-distance movement within the confines of a building or between a building and a transportation vehicle. It uses a wide range of manual, semi-automated, and automated equipment and includes consideration of the protection, storage, and control of materials throughout their manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Material handling can be used to create time and place utility through the handling, storage, and control of material, as distinct from manufacturing, which creates form utility by changing the shape, form, and makeup of material.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Attention to Detail	3.64%
Surface Preparation	1.32%
Material Handling	0.76%

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 a Paint Prep Technician's salary.

Confidentiality: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Confidentiality	$54,243	7%
Leadership	$53,229	5%
Collaboration	$52,722	4%
Scheduling	$52,722	4%
Goal Oriented	$52,722	4%
Plumbing	$52,722	4%

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How Education impacts a Paint Prep Technician's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Paint Prep Technicians enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Paint Prep Technician with a No Diploma is between $51,112 and $55,364).

Paint Prep Technician Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Paint Prep Technician

No Diploma 10.7%

High School 57.1%

Associates 17.9%

Bachelors 14.3%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	10.7%
High School	57.1%
Associates	17.9%
Bachelors	14.3%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Paint Prep Technician Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Paint Prep Technician'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 January 01, 2026

$44,073

Average $50,694/year

$54,070

$3,673

Average $4,225/month

$4,506

$848

Average $975/week

$1,040

$21

Average $24/hour

$26

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$54,070	$4,506	$1,040	$26
Average	$50,694	$4,225	$975	$24
25th Percentile	$44,073	$3,673	$848	$21

Salaries of jobs related to Paint Prep Technician

Salary Trends for Paint Prep Technician

Salaries for a Paint Prep Technician can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $49,598 in 2023 to around $49,500 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Paint Prep Technician salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Paint Prep Technician Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$49,598

2024

$49,712

2025

$49,500

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$49,598
2024	$49,712
2025	$49,500
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Paint Prep Technician

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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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.)

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