Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-2141

Painters, Construction and Maintenance

Median pay sits 33% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers, Electricians, Construction and Building Inspectors, Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Painters, Construction and Maintenance: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($80K) , Electricians ($63K) , Construction and Building Inspectors ($75K) , Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other ($70K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Painters, Construction and Maintenance publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2141 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting
  2. 2. Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements
  3. 3. Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns…
  4. 4. Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives
  5. 5. Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines
  6. 6. Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level
  7. 7. Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will ad…
  8. 8. Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats
  9. 9. Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders
  10. 10. Remove old finishes by stripping, sanding, wire brushing, burning, or using water or abrasive blasting
  11. 11. Remove fixtures such as pictures, door knobs, lamps, or electric switch covers prior to painting
  12. 12. Use special finishing techniques such as sponging, ragging, layering, or faux finishing

Painters, Construction and Maintenance: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2141 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.0
  3. 3. Time Management 3.0
  4. 4. Monitoring 2.9
  5. 5. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  6. 6. Coordination 2.9
  7. 7. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.2
  2. 2. Building and Construction 3.0
  3. 3. Administration and Management 2.9
  4. 4. Public Safety and Security 2.8
  5. 5. Chemistry 2.7
  6. 6. Transportation 2.6
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-33%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $49,400/yr
$49K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
28,100
Annual openings
225,190
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Highest-pay peer · $80K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Painters, Construction and Maintenance

1. Illinois $61,260
2. Maine $59,270
3. California $59,020
4. New York $59,570
5. Alaska $60,980
6. Hawaii $68,220
7. Washington $59,650
8. Delaware $58,530
9. District of Columbia $59,520
10. New Jersey $59,250

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Construction and Building Inspectors $74,690
  2. 2. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  3. 3. Electricians $63,190
  4. 4. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070
  5. 5. Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas $67,890
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Painters, Construction and Maintenance sits 33% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $49,400.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 28,100 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Illinois at $61,260. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $79,920. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Painters, Construction and Maintenance pay-rank #46 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Painters, Construction and Maintenance lands at #46, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2141 · national median $49,400 · lower third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#46/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Painters, Construction and Maintenance salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2141

Illinois · top state for Painters, Construction and Maintenance

$61K published median

Maine · #2 state pay

$59K · behind Illinois

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Painters, Construction and Maintenance · $80K

Electricians

Lower-pay peer beside Painters, Construction and Maintenance · $63K

Compare Painters, Construction and Maintenance

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Painters, Construction and Maintenance with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Painters, Construction and Maintenance

Against another occupation

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Painters, Construction and Maintenance land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Painters, Construction and Maintenance is pay-rank #46 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers ($49K), Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall ($49K), Pipelayers ($49K), Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners ($50K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do painters, construction and maintenance do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Painters, Construction and Maintenance. Leading ones include: Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting; Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements; Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns…; Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for painters, construction and maintenance? ▼
For SOC 47-2141, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Time Management (3.0), Monitoring (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, Administration and Management. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Painters, Construction and Maintenance? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $49,400 as the national median for Painters, Construction and Maintenance. The published 10th-90th range is $37,440 to $78,810. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers ($79,920), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Painters, Construction and Maintenance? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Painters, Construction and Maintenance is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 28,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Painters, Construction and Maintenance? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Painters, Construction and Maintenance. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Painters, Construction and Maintenance? ▼
Illinois ($61,260), Maine ($59,270), California ($59,020) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Painters, Construction and Maintenance card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2141. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Painters, Construction and Maintenance. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics