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How much do self-employed painters and finishing contractors make?

Painters, flooring and finishing trades. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Painter in work gloves rolling white paint over a pink wall

Businesses

678,091

Revenue per firm

$66,826

Under $25,000

46.8%

Sole proprietors

92.4%

Census code 2383, "Building Finishing Contractors", covers painters, drywall and plaster, flooring, tile and finish carpentry contractors.

In 2024, 678,091 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $45.3 billion in revenue, an average of $66,826 per firm, 15% above the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

Finishing contractors have one of the lowest shares of very small businesses on this list: 24.5% took in under $10,000, against 37.3% of all nonemployers. 17.4% reached $100,000.

92.4% are sole proprietors. Firms set up as partnerships or corporations averaged $190,680, against $56,608 for sole proprietors.

Northern New England stands out: Maine holds 2.0 times its national share of these firms, Vermont 1.8 and New Hampshire 1.8. Among states with at least 500 finishing businesses, California (0.58) and Nevada (0.49) have the lowest relative concentrations.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 24.5% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 46.8% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 66.8% under $50,000. 17.4% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$25,000 to $49,999" bracket.

Share of 678,091 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.
  • Under $5,00014.4%
  • $5,000 to $9,99910.1%
  • $10,000 to $24,99922.3%
  • $25,000 to $49,99920%
  • $50,000 to $99,99915.8%
  • $100,000 to $249,99911.6%
  • $250,000 to $499,9994%
  • $500,000 to $999,9991.8%
  • $1 million to $2.5 million0%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Specialty trade contractors", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

Florida has the most firms, at 76,565. Among the 50 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in Connecticut ($91,691) and lowest in West Virginia ($45,959). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.

Alabama8,886$62,832-6%
Alaska1,001$62,463-7%
Arizona12,531$69,663+4%
Arkansas6,866$64,327-4%
California45,280$60,317-10%
Colorado16,042$79,578+19%
Connecticut9,524$91,691+37%
Delaware1,792$80,211+20%
District of Columbia*415$44,251-34%
Florida76,565$64,585-3%
Georgia29,005$75,088+12%
Hawaii1,774$65,550-2%
Idaho3,955$67,949+2%
Illinois21,187$61,152-8%
Indiana11,907$61,708-8%
Iowa6,526$62,506-6%
Kansas5,434$63,481-5%
Kentucky9,471$58,998-12%
Louisiana9,332$51,688-23%
Maine5,445$61,157-8%
Maryland12,018$69,881+5%
Massachusetts19,023$91,680+37%
Michigan23,486$60,849-9%
Minnesota11,337$70,754+6%
Mississippi6,473$54,929-18%
Missouri11,819$60,362-10%
Montana3,263$73,239+10%
Nebraska4,274$66,139-1%
Nevada3,260$47,411-29%
New Hampshire4,483$82,195+23%
New Jersey15,381$76,721+15%
New Mexico2,270$51,937-22%
New York35,259$50,021-25%
North Carolina26,278$72,634+9%
North Dakota1,383$66,470-1%
Ohio24,355$65,722-2%
Oklahoma7,983$67,502+1%
Oregon4,667$63,383-5%
Pennsylvania22,915$66,148-1%
Rhode Island2,558$65,638-2%
South Carolina11,588$76,863+15%
South Dakota1,988$67,656+1%
Tennessee16,119$76,343+14%
Texas75,044$66,824-0%
Utah5,126$72,274+8%
Vermont2,561$60,829-9%
Virginia17,479$68,471+2%
Washington9,210$71,328+7%
West Virginia1,643$45,959-31%
Wisconsin10,772$70,804+6%
Wyoming1,138$63,024-6%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

Frequently asked questions

How much do self-employed painters and finishing contractors make?

Census data for 2024 show 678,091 US businesses with no paid employees in this trade, reporting an average of $66,826 in revenue each. 46.8% took in under $25,000, against 60.4% of all businesses with no employees. Revenue is what the business takes in before costs, so it is not the owner's income.

Which state has the highest revenue per firm for self-employed painters and finishing contractors?

Among the 50 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, Connecticut had the highest average revenue per firm, at $91,691, and West Virginia the lowest, at $45,959. States are assigned by business mailing address, and these figures do not show take-home pay.

Sources and method

Other trades