FederalPay.org
Painter - Federal Salaries of 2022
Pay Rates for "Painter"
How much does a Painter in the federal government get paid? $63,827.61* *Based on the 2022 average.Painter was the 202nd most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2022, with 675 employed. The most common payscale was the nonsupervisory pay schedules - federal wage system payscale.
In 2022, the Veterans Health Administration hired the most employees titled Painting, with an average salary of $61,419.
Government Painting jobs are classified under the Federal Wage Schedule, Wage Grade (FWS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Painting job is FWS-7, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is FWS-9. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
This standard is used to grade all nonsupervisory jobs involved in applying coating materials (for example, paint, varnish, lacquer, shellac, epoxy resin, and teflon) on wood, metal, glass, synthetic, concrete, and other surfaces. This coating work is done with brushes, rollers, spray guns, and other related methods and techniques, and is performed on the insides and outsides of buildings, aircraft, vessels, mobile equipment, fittings, furnishings, machinery, and other surfaces.
Agencies that have hired a Painter
| Agency | Employees Hired | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | 479 | $61,418.68 |
| U.S. Coast Guard | 103 | $64,578.74 |
| National Park Service | 23 | $62,759.70 |
| Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust) | 15 | $72,061.33 |
| Presidio Trust | 8 | $97,755.00 |
| Public Buildings Service | 6 | $64,992.33 |
| Bureau of Engraving and Printing | 6 | $96,899.00 |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 5 | $99,383.00 |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | 5 | $81,985.80 |
| National Gallery of Art | 5 | $70,423.60 |
| Government Printing Office | 4 | $96,085.50 |
| Agricultural Research Service | 3 | $55,660.33 |
| Federal Aviation Administration | 3 | $60,161.33 |
| 2 | $65,572.00 | |
| St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation | 2 | $68,339.00 |
| Department of Energy | 2 | $112,399.50 |
| Forest Service | 1 | $55,159.00 |
| Bureau of the Census | 1 | $63,800.00 |
| Offices, Boards and Divisions | 1 | $70,269.00 |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | 1 | $0.00 |
Painter Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Painter is $63,827.61. The highest paid Painter made $122,807 in 2022.
Common Painter Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Painting Employees |
|---|---|
| WG - Nonsupervisory Pay Schedules - Federal Wage System | 591 |
| WL - Leader Pay Schedule - Federal Wage System | 35 |
| WS - Supervisory Pay Schedules - Federal Wage System | 20 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 8 |
| BB - Nonsupervisory - Negotiated Pay Employees | 6 |
| WE - Currency Manufacturing | 6 |
| KP - Government Printing Office Negotiated Rates For Engineering Journeypersons | 4 |
| FW - Wage Grade (similar To The Nonsupervisory Pay Schedule Under The Federal Wage System) | 2 |
| BS - Supervisory - Negotiated Pay Employees | 1 |
| * - Invalid | 1 |
| FL - Wage Leaders (similar To The Leader Pay Schedule Under The Federal Wage System) | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $10.20 to $26.59 / hour at paygrade FWS-7 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $11.13 to $30.53 / hour at paygrade FWS-9 |
| Occupation Family: | PAINTING AND PAPERHANGING FAMILY |
Other Jobs at the FWS-7 Paygrade
FWS-7 is the starting paygrade for Painting jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the FWS-7 paygrade.
| Occupation | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|
| Offset Press Operating | FWS-7 | FWS-11 |
| Blocking and Bracing | FWS-7 | FWS-8 |
| Cement Finishing | FWS-6 | FWS-8 |
| Motor Vehicle Operating | FWS-4 | FWS-8 |
| Roofing | FWS-7 | FWS-9 |
Average Painting Pay Trend from 2004 to 2022
In 2004, the average pay for a Painter was $45,938. Since then, the average pay has increased to $63,828 in 2022.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 4102.