Running a painting business in Boston, MA
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area has about 3,220 painters. The median wage is $27.80 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's in line with the Massachusetts median of $27.65. Nationally, the median is $23.75, so Boston pays 17% more.
Market snapshot
- Painters employed in the metro area
- 3,220
- Median hourly wage
- $27.80
- Middle 50% earn
- $23.30 to $33.92 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $57,820
- Massachusetts median hourly wage
- $27.65
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $23.75
- Job concentration
- 0.82× the national share
- Painting contractors in the metro area
- 726
- Boston population
- 666,442
- Median year homes were built in Boston
- 1947
Job concentration compares the share of local jobs held by painters with the share nationwide. Above 1 means the trade is more concentrated here than average.
How Boston ranks in Massachusetts
- #1 of 6 Massachusetts metros for the number of painters
- #1 of 6 for median hourly wage
Painting in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA | 300 | $26.08 |
| Providence, RI | 1,370 | $21.31 |
| Manchester, NH | 250 | $23.88 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 250 | $24.36 |
| Amherst Town, MA | 60 | $26.46 |
| Norwich, CT | 420 | $28.24 |
How Tradesman helps painting businesses in Boston
Options for every finish
Offer walls only, walls plus trim, or the full room as options on one estimate. Customers choose before they approve.
Know when the crew is on site
Crew members get a reminder to clock in when they arrive at the job and to clock out when they leave.
Margins by job
Paint, supplies and labor hours log against each job, so you can see which kinds of jobs actually pay best.
Questions about painting in Boston
How much do painters make in Boston?
In May 2025, the median wage for painters in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area was $27.80 an hour. The middle half earned between $23.30 and $33.92 an hour.
How many painters work in Boston?
About 3,220 painters worked in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many painting contractors are in Boston?
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area had 726 establishments classified as painting contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area unless they name Boston. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your painting business in Boston from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.