Painter and Decorator Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 21,000 jobs.
Median salary
£31,820
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 2.1% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£32,421
Mean
£31,001
Jobs measured
21,000
What a typical painter and decorator takes home
On the median of £31,820, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,202
Take-home a year
£26,430
Income Tax
£3,850
National Insurance
£1,540
What most painter and decorators actually earn
Half of painter and decorators earn between £25,046 and £36,346. Earning above £36,346 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of painter and decorators earn less than this.
Painter and Decorator salary by region
1 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| South East | £32,146 | £34,569 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Painters and decorators
- SOC 2020 code
- 5323
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Painter and Decorator salary FAQs
What is the average Painter and Decorator salary in the UK?
The median is £31,820 a year and the mean is £31,001, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £32,421.
How much does a painter and decorator earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £16.36 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good Painter and Decorator salary?
Half of painter and decorators earn between £25,046 and £36,346. Anything above £36,346 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a painter and decorator?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of painter and decorators earn under £16,163 and the lowest quarter under £25,046 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Has painter and decorator pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +2.1% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many painter and decorators are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 21,000 employee jobs in “Painters and decorators” (SOC 5323) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
Similar roles
Official figures show the market. Your salary shows what employers actually pay.
Add your salary anonymously