Running a painting business in Rochester, NY
The Rochester, NY metro area has about 590 painters. The median wage is $22.71 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 21% below the New York median of $28.64. Nationally, the median is $23.75, so Rochester pays 4% less.
Market snapshot
- Painters employed in the metro area
- 590
- Median hourly wage
- $22.71
- Middle 50% earn
- $22.34 to $29.03 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $47,230
- New York median hourly wage
- $28.64
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $23.75
- Job concentration
- 0.82× the national share
- Painting contractors in the metro area
- 138
- Rochester population
- 208,772
- Median year homes were built in Rochester
- 1938
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 Rochester ranks in New York
- #3 of 13 New York metros for the number of painters
- #12 of 13 for median hourly wage
Painting in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo, NY | 750 | $25.64 |
| Syracuse, NY | 310 | $23.37 |
| Ithaca, NY | 40 | $28.42 |
| Elmira, NY | 90 | $28.60 |
| Watertown, NY | 50 | $22.71 |
| Binghamton, NY | 100 | $25.57 |
How Tradesman helps painting businesses in Rochester
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 Rochester
How much do painters make in Rochester?
In May 2025, the median wage for painters in the Rochester, NY metro area was $22.71 an hour. The middle half earned between $22.34 and $29.03 an hour.
How many painters work in Rochester?
About 590 painters worked in the Rochester, NY metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many painting contractors are in Rochester?
The Rochester, NY metro area had 138 establishments classified as painting contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Rochester, NY metro area unless they name Rochester. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your painting business in Rochester from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.