SOC 47-2141 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Painters, Construction and Maintenance — Columbus
Columbus, IN · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Columbus, IN comes to $58,560 a year, ahead of the national median of $49,400 by 18.5%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.8%
- Openings per year
- 28,100
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
33.8% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Columbus, IN.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Columbus, IN comes to $58,560 a year, ahead of the national median of $49,400 by 18.5%. Pay ranges from under $39,940 at the tenth percentile to more than $75,520 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $47,210 to $66,000.
Employment stands at 40, or 0.9 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Evansville records the highest median at $54,400. Of the 187 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 88th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39,940 | −19.1% |
| 25th | $47,210 | −4.4% |
| Median (50th) | $58,560 | +18.5% |
| 75th | $66,000 | +33.6% |
| 90th | $75,520 | +52.9% |
| Mean | $56,400 | +14.2% |
Other metro areas in Indiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | $54,400 | 250 | |
| 2 | Bloomington | $53,240 | 90 | |
| 3 | Indianapolis | $50,900 | 1,250 | |
| 4 | Michigan City | $49,430 | 40 | |
| 5 | Muncie | $49,400 | 40 | |
| 6 | Fort Wayne | $49,130 | 200 | |
| 7 | South Bend | $48,830 | 170 | |
| 8 | Elkhart | $48,040 | 130 | |
| 9 | Lafayette | $46,000 | 130 | |
| 10 | Terre Haute | $45,880 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Columbus run 7.0% below the national average, so the median of $58,560 goes as far as $62,968 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 27.5% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$58,560as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$62,968US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $58,560 a year, 18.5% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $39,940 to $75,520 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Evansville, at $54,400.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Painters, Construction and Maintenance in Columbus, IN?
The median annual wage is $58,560, or $28.15 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $49,400, so pay in Columbus, IN is 18.5% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Columbus, IN earns more than $75,520 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $39,940 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Evansville, at $54,400 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Columbus, IN. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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