Running a painting business in Austin, TX
The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area has about 1,860 painters. The median wage is $22.38 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 2% above the Texas median of $21.86. Nationally, the median is $23.75, so Austin pays 6% less.
Market snapshot
- Painters employed in the metro area
- 1,860
- Median hourly wage
- $22.38
- Middle 50% earn
- $19.81 to $23.59 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $46,550
- Texas median hourly wage
- $21.86
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $23.75
- Job concentration
- 0.99× the national share
- Painting contractors in the metro area
- 210
- Austin population
- 979,539
- Median year homes were built in Austin
- 1994
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 Austin ranks in Texas
- #3 of 23 Texas metros for the number of painters
- #5 of 23 for median hourly wage
Painting in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Killeen, TX | 170 | $20.89 |
| San Antonio, TX | 960 | $20.88 |
| College Station, TX | 90 | $20.88 |
| Waco, TX | 230 | $21.91 |
| Victoria, TX | 80 | $17.96 |
| Houston, TX | 4,970 | $22.18 |
How Tradesman helps painting businesses in Austin
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 Austin
How much do painters make in Austin?
In May 2025, the median wage for painters in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area was $22.38 an hour. The middle half earned between $19.81 and $23.59 an hour.
How many painters work in Austin?
About 1,860 painters worked in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many painting contractors are in Austin?
The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area had 210 establishments classified as painting contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area unless they name Austin. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your painting business in Austin from one place.
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