Running a painting business in Charleston, SC
The Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area has about 410 painters. The median wage is $22.84 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 16% above the South Carolina median of $19.64. Nationally, the median is $23.75, so Charleston pays 4% less.
Market snapshot
- Painters employed in the metro area
- 410
- Median hourly wage
- $22.84
- Middle 50% earn
- $18.45 to $25.27 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $47,510
- South Carolina median hourly wage
- $19.64
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $23.75
- Job concentration
- 0.72× the national share
- Painting contractors in the metro area
- 103
- Charleston population
- 154,338
- Median year homes were built in Charleston
- 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 Charleston ranks in South Carolina
- #1 of 8 South Carolina metros for the number of painters
- #1 of 8 for median hourly wage
Painting in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 170 | $18.54 |
| Sumter, SC | 90 | $18.46 |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 280 | $17.33 |
| Savannah, GA | 110 | $22.14 |
| Florence, SC | 80 | $18.46 |
| Columbia, SC | 220 | $22.47 |
How Tradesman helps painting businesses in Charleston
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 Charleston
How much do painters make in Charleston?
In May 2025, the median wage for painters in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area was $22.84 an hour. The middle half earned between $18.45 and $25.27 an hour.
How many painters work in Charleston?
About 410 painters worked in the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many painting contractors are in Charleston?
The Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area had 103 establishments classified as painting contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area unless they name Charleston. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your painting business in Charleston from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.