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Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary in Chicago, IL

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in Chicago, IL have a median annual salary of $33,830, with 180 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $30,830 at the 10th percentile to $64,090 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$33,830

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$16.27

Employment

180

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$30,830
10th
$31,200
25th
$33,830
Median
$48,380
75th
$64,090
90th

Local compared with national

Chicago, IL

$33,830

Median annual · 2025

United States

$41,600

Median annual · 2025

The Chicago, IL median is 18.7% below the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $7,770).

Top skills

  1. 1.Active ListeningImportance 2.9
  2. 2.MonitoringImportance 2.9
  3. 3.Social PerceptivenessImportance 2.9
  4. 4.CoordinationImportance 2.9
  5. 5.Reading ComprehensionImportance 2.8
  6. 6.SpeakingImportance 2.8
  7. 7.Critical ThinkingImportance 2.8
  8. 8.Time ManagementImportance 2.6
  9. 9.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 2.5
  10. 10.Service OrientationImportance 2.4
  11. 11.WritingImportance 2.3
  12. 12.Active LearningImportance 2.1

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Experience
None
Job zone
2

Technology used

  • Adobe FreeHand MX
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Microsoft Excel

Common tasks

  • Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
  • Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
  • Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
  • Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.
  • Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
  • Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
  • Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.
  • Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.
  • Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary in other locations

Other occupations in Chicago, IL