Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Painter (Construction) Salary in Denver
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Construction · COL Index: 128
Painter (Construction)s in Denver, CO earn a median annual wage of $54,500 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $46,220 and the 90th at $63,720. After cost of living, that translates to $42,578 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: F (37/100).
What Painter (Construction)s Take Home in Denver
The $17,500 spread between entry-level and top-decile painter (construction)s in Denver is relatively narrow — about 32% of the median. That tight band usually signals a trade where pay scales primarily with experience rather than employer or specialization. New entrants can expect to climb steadily toward median pay over their first 5-10 years.
With Denver's cost-of-living index of 128, a painter (construction) earning $54,500 here translates to about $42,578 in U.S.-average purchasing power. That is a meaningful but manageable adjustment — the metro's higher pay typically clears the cost-of-living gap with room to spare in skilled trades.
With a Trade Pay Score of 37 (F), this trade-city pairing is below average. That typically reflects either weak nominal wages, sluggish 5-year wage growth, a high cost of living that hollows out real pay, or some combination. Workers should examine both the per-trade page (other cities for the same trade) and the per-city page (other trades in the same metro) to find a stronger fit.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $46,220 | $36,109 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $48,520 | $37,906 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $54,500 | $42,578 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $59,550 | $46,523 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $63,720 | $49,781 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for painter (construction)s, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Denver are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Painter (Construction) make in Denver?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median painter (construction) salary in Denver, CO is $54,500. The 10th percentile is $46,220 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $63,720 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Denver pay compare for Painter (Construction)s?
With a Trade Pay Score of 37/100 and a grade of F, the Denver-Painter (Construction) pairing is below average — workers should consider whether a different metro for the same trade might deliver a higher grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Painter (Construction)s in Denver?
Painter (Construction)s typically complete a 3-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($46,220) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Painter (Construction) pay in Denver?
Denver has a cost-of-living index of 128. The median painter (construction) salary of $54,500 translates to $42,578 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Other High-Paying Trades in Denver
$124,850 median · Grade B
$122,880 median · Grade B
$99,550 median · Grade B
$99,550 median · Grade B
$82,570 median · Grade C
$81,600 median · Grade C
Painter (Construction)s in Denver, CO earn a median annual wage of $54,500 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $46,220 and the 90th at $63,720. After cost of living, that translates to $42,578 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: F (37/100).
For Painter (Construction)s in Denver, CO, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Painter (Construction)s in Denver, CO is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.