Running a painting business in Durham, NC
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area has about 260 painters. The median wage is $22.37 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 5% above the North Carolina median of $21.21. Nationally, the median is $23.75, so Durham pays 6% less.
Market snapshot
- Painters employed in the metro area
- 260
- Median hourly wage
- $22.37
- Middle 50% earn
- $18.56 to $24.01 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $46,520
- North Carolina median hourly wage
- $21.21
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $23.75
- Job concentration
- 0.52× the national share
- Painting contractors in the metro area
- 72
- Durham population
- 291,467
- Median year homes were built in Durham
- 1995
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 Durham ranks in North Carolina
- #4 of 14 North Carolina metros for the number of painters
- #1 of 14 for median hourly wage
Painting in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | 810 | $21.81 |
| Burlington, NC | 50 | $18.77 |
| Greensboro, NC | 350 | $20.13 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 40 | $19.42 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 110 | $20.00 |
| Pinehurst, NC | 30 | $20.96 |
How Tradesman helps painting businesses in Durham
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 Durham
How much do painters make in Durham?
In May 2025, the median wage for painters in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $22.37 an hour. The middle half earned between $18.56 and $24.01 an hour.
How many painters work in Durham?
About 260 painters worked in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many painting contractors are in Durham?
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area had 72 establishments classified as painting contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area unless they name Durham. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your painting business in Durham from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.