Painting Salary in New Hampshire 2026

Painting salary in New Hampshire 2026. Average hourly rate, annual pay, top metros, career path. BLS OES wage data.

Painting pay in New Hampshire (2026)

Median annual salary: $48,311
Median hourly rate: $23/hour
Entry-level (apprentice / 1-2 years): $33,817 ($16/hr)
Senior (10+ years / master): $67,635 ($33/hr)

Pay reflects New Hampshire cost-of-living and union/non-union mix. Top metros pay 10-25% above the state median.

What drives Painting pay in New Hampshire

License classification - master/journeyman pay 30-50% more than apprentices
Specialty certifications (EPA 608 for HVAC, OSHA 30 for roofing, IICRC for restoration)
Union vs. non-union - union typically pays 20-35% more with full benefits
Commercial vs. residential - commercial pays 15-25% more
New Hampshire metro area - high-cost metros add 15-30%

New Hampshire Painting licensing requirements that affect pay

No statewide GC license; electrical, plumbing, gas fitting require state license . Licensed contractors typically command 25-50% higher pay than unlicensed counterparts. See New Hampshire Painting license requirements.

How painting pay actually moves in New Hampshire

New Hampshire painting pay is not a single number. It is a range that moves based on license level, specialty certifications, the metro market the worker lives in, whether the shop is union or open, and whether the work is residential or commercial. The same painting professional can earn entry-level wages in a low-cost rural New Hampshire county and earn the senior rate in a high-cost New Hampshire metro doing identical scope, because the wage is keyed to local cost of living more than to skill alone.

The wage curve over a career follows a predictable pattern: apprentice years are roughly 60 to 75 percent of journeyman pay, journeyman years are the median, master certification adds 15 to 25 percent above journeyman, and specialty certifications (EPA 608 Universal for HVAC, OSHA 30 plus IICRC for restoration, NICET for fire protection) push that further. The painting who picks the high-leverage certifications early sees their pay accelerate faster than the one who waits until later in their career to add them.

New Hampshire does not impose statewide painting licensing, but most metros in New Hampshire have their own local registration requirements. The contractor who registers in multiple metros can take work across the state without restriction, which expands their addressable market and lifts their effective rate.

Career path from apprentice to running a New Hampshire painting shop

Years 1 to 2 (apprentice). $33,817 annual. Working under a journeyman, learning the trade, building the hour count needed for journeyman status. The smart apprentice picks up at least one specialty cert during this window.
Years 3 to 5 (journeyman). $48,311 annual. Working independently on standard scope. Many painting professionals stay journeymen for the rest of their careers because the W-2 schedule and benefits beat going independent.
Years 6 to 10 (senior journeyman / lead). $57,973 annual. Running crews, mentoring apprentices, building the operational chops needed to either take master certification or start a shop.
Years 10+ (master / shop owner). $67,635 as a master journeyman working W-2. A solo shop owner running their own license can clear $120,776 net of expenses in a good year, or more if they grow to two or three trucks.

Why New Hampshire painting pay rises or falls year over year

New Hampshire painting wages move primarily based on labor supply and demand at the state level. When New Hampshire construction permits rise, demand for painting labor rises, which pushes wages up. When permits fall or weather curtails the building season, wages flatten or drop. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics survey publishes New Hampshire-specific data annually, and the trend over the last five years for painting has been steadily upward with occasional flat years during economic downturns.

Beyond the macro trend, individual painting pay depends on which employer the worker chooses. A larger New Hampshire shop with steady work and a good benefits package can offer lower hourly pay but higher total compensation than a smaller shop with no benefits and variable hours. The worker who looks at hourly rate alone misses the value of paid time off, health insurance, retirement contributions, and tool allowances.

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