Salary guide › California › Painter and Drywall
Painter and Drywall salary in California (2025)
Most painters and drywall installers in California earn $22.85 to $35.11 an hour.
The typical painter and drywall salary in California is $28.38 an hour, or $59,020 a year. That is 19% more than the national typical pay of $23.75. About 38,430 people do this work in California. BLS reports painters and drywall installers as two occupations. Both are shown. They are never averaged together.
Pay by job level
| Job | Hourly | Yearly | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $22.22 | $46,220 | BLS median pay for Helpers, Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons. BLS has no apprentice category. Apprentices often start near helper pay, then step up each year toward journeyman pay. Medium |
| Journeyman | $28.38 | $59,020 | Typical pay in the trade. BLS does not split pay by license level. Medium |
| Foreman | $46.96 | $97,680 | BLS pay for construction supervisors across all trades. Medium |
| Superintendent | $64.02 | $133,160 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Project Manager | $64.02 | $133,160 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Estimator | $41.09 | $85,460 | BLS pay for cost estimators in all industries. Medium |
| Owner Operator | Depends on the business | There is no wage data for owners. They earn from business profit, not a wage. None | |
High exact government figure Medium closest government category Low estimate, method shown None no data
Best paying areas for painters and drywall installers in California
Painters, Construction and Maintenance
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $30.67 | $63,800 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $30.58 | $63,600 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $30.19 | $62,790 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $30.00 | $62,400 |
| Vallejo, CA | $29.99 | $62,370 |
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $40.58 | $84,410 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $39.74 | $82,650 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39.50 | $82,160 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $38.19 | $79,430 |
| El Centro, CA | $37.51 | $78,020 |
Typical means the median: half earn more, half earn less. Only areas where the government publishes a figure are listed.
Ready to get licensed in California? Start your painter and drywall exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
C-33 Painting & Decorating exam prepUnion and prevailing wage pay for painters and drywall installers in California
Painter, Los Angeles County: $38.52 an hour + $18.64 benefits = $57.16 total. Medium
This is the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) 36 contract rate, effective 07/01/2023, and the legal minimum on federal building jobs here. Contracts often rise before the government list catches up, so ask the local for its latest wage sheet.
Drywall, Los Angeles County: $49.33 an hour + $26.82 benefits = $76.15 total. Medium
This is the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) 36 contract rate, effective 09/01/2024, and the legal minimum on federal building jobs here. Contracts often rise before the government list catches up, so ask the local for its latest wage sheet.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor wage determination CA20260022 for Los Angeles County. Other counties have their own rates, and California may set its own for state jobs (list of state laws).
Union and prevailing figures include benefits and apply to specific jobs. The typical pay above is wages only, for everyone in the trade. They are not directly comparable.
How to earn more
- Get licensed. A license lets you bid work in your own name. See C-33 Painting & Decorating exam prep.
- Know the steps. Experience, application, exams and what comes after. How to get licensed in California.
- Run your own company. Many states also require a business and law exam. Business exam prep.
- Move up to foreman. Construction supervisors in California typically earn $46.96 an hour.
Common questions
How much does a painter and drywall make in California?
Typical pay is $28.38 an hour, or $59,020 a year, based on government data for May 2025. Most earn between $22.85 and $35.11 an hour. That includes union and non union workers.
What is the starting pay for a painter and drywall apprentice in California?
Expect about $22.22 an hour to start. That is typical pay for helpers in this trade. Apprentice pay then rises each year. The local union or the California apprenticeship agency publishes the exact steps.
Do union painters and drywall installers make more in California?
In Los Angeles County, the union contract rate is $38.52 an hour in wages, plus $18.64 in benefits, effective 07/01/2023 (U.S. Department of Labor). Typical pay for all painters and drywall installers statewide is $28.38 an hour in wages. The figures cover different areas and dates, so compare with care.
What is the prevailing wage for painter and drywall in California?
On federal building jobs in Los Angeles County, the prevailing wage for the painter classification is $38.52 an hour + $18.64 benefits = $57.16 total (wage determination CA20260022). Other counties differ, and California may set its own rate for state jobs.
What is the highest paying city for painters and drywall installers in California?
Hanford-Corcoran, CA pays the most, with typical pay of $30.67 an hour, based on government data for May 2025. Smaller areas may be missing because the government does not publish a figure for them.
Ready to get licensed in California? Start your painter and drywall exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
C-33 Painting & Decorating exam prepSee the full numbers and sources
Painter and Drywall salary in California: full pay range
Painters, Construction and Maintenance
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.26 | $42,130 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 25th percentile | $22.85 | $47,520 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| Median | $28.38 | $59,020 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 75th percentile | $35.11 | $73,040 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 90th percentile | $43.75 | $91,000 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.14 | $46,050 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 25th percentile | $26.83 | $55,810 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| Median | $31.67 | $65,880 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 75th percentile | $40.95 | $85,180 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 90th percentile | $57.81 | $120,240 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
A percentile shows where pay falls: the 10th percentile means 10% earn less. BLS publishes hourly and yearly figures; yearly assumes 2,080 paid hours (40 hours times 52 weeks). $115.00+ means BLS reports it only as at least that amount.
What affects painter and drywall pay in California
- Metro area. Hanford-Corcoran, CA pays a median of $30.67 an hour, 8% above the California median.
- Experience and skill. In California, the top 10% earn at least $43.75 an hour, while the bottom 10% earn $20.26 or less. That gap of $23.49 an hour reflects experience, specialty and responsibility.
- State market. The California median is 19% above the national median of $23.75 for Painters, Construction and Maintenance.
- Overtime. BLS figures are straight time pay. Overtime, shift pay and bonuses are not included, so total earnings can be higher.
- Union status and public work. Union contracts and prevailing wage jobs set their own rates. Those are separate from the market figures above.
- License classification. A contractor license lets you bid and run your own jobs instead of earning a wage.
Comparing union, prevailing and market pay
These are not directly comparable. A union total package includes benefits, a prevailing wage applies only to covered public jobs, and the BLS market wage is straight time pay for everyone in the trade.
Methodology
Market figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, state and metro tables, May 2025. We never average across sources or occupations. Full methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state, metro and national tables. bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination CA20260022 (Davis-Bacon, building), Los Angeles, revision 5. sam.gov
- U.S. Department of Labor, state prevailing wage laws. dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/prevailing-wages
Salary information on Contractor Pathway is an estimate for educational purposes only. Figures come from public sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state prevailing wage determinations, federal wage determinations, and published union wage sheets. Actual pay depends on your employer, experience, local market, license classification, overtime, benefits, and the date of the data. Market wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes both union and non union workers. Union, prevailing wage, and market figures come from different sources and are not directly comparable. Some positions do not have official wage data, and those figures are marked as estimates with the method shown. This tool does not guarantee any wage, job offer, or income. Always confirm current rates with your local union, your state labor agency, or a prospective employer before making career or business decisions. Contractor Pathway is not responsible for decisions made based on these estimates.