Painting federal salary series 4102
Full-time federal employees in the Painting series earned a median of $75,675 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 31% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $68,495 and $81,080.
What shapes painting pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-9 (1,576 employees, median $74,652). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (411 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($83,126) and lowest in Florida ($65,710), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.
OPM withheld pay for 84% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Painting pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| WG-9 | 1,576 | $74,652 |
| WL-9 | 157 | $87,696 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Painting pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | 411 | $74,276 |
| Department of Homeland Security | 93 | $80,162 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Painting pay by state
The 6 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.
| State | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 56 | $77,136 |
| New York | 47 | $78,116 |
| California | 39 | $81,226 |
| Florida | 36 | $65,710 |
| District of Columbia | 34 | $83,126 |
| Texas | 32 | $69,884 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Compare painting pay across all states and agencies →
Change since September 2025
The median moved +3.0% from $73,442 in September 2025 to $75,675 in September 2026. Headcount went from 3,698 to 3,588 (−3.0%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.
Related occupations in Painting and Paperhanging Family
- Sign Painting (4104)$73,629