Official pay data
Updated 9 October 2026
Salary guide
Official annual estimates for the whole country, mapped to the closest published occupation.
United Kingdom · gross annual earnings estimate
25th percentile
£28,462
Median
£32,763
75th percentile
£39,007
This ASHE benchmark covers full-time employee jobs, not self-employed income or part-time jobs. ASHE gross earnings include basic pay, overtime, incentive pay such as bonuses and commissions, shift premiums, and other cash pay. They are before deductions, exclude payments in kind, and are not take-home pay or the whole benefits package. Compare the benchmark with an offer on the same working-hours and annual-pay basis.
This is a country-level occupation benchmark, not a local offer estimate. Pay can differ by location, employer, duties, and working pattern.
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. Mapped to Painters and decorators; the occupation is broader than the page role. Figures are estimates, not advertised salaries.
This national benchmark is a useful comparison point for a Painter Decorator role because the mapped occupation covers the core trade work: preparing surfaces, applying paint or wallpaper, and finishing jobs cleanly. It is not a quote for every offer. Compare the actual duties and contracted hours before treating the benchmark as a close match.
Benchmark fit
Painter Decorator fits within the mapped occupation of painters and decorators because the occupational profile includes preparation, paint or wallpaper application, finishes and cleanup. The comparison is strongest where the role covers that trade scope.
Nearby titles: Painter and decorator.
The title should not be treated as interchangeable with joiner, plumber or roofer. Those are distinct building-trade jobs, and a role that moves materially beyond decorating may be a weaker match for this benchmark.
Role scope
Painter and decorator work prepares and finishes surfaces with paint, wall coverings and, on some jobs, decorative finishes.
Strip old wallpaper or paint, then fill holes and cracks and level surfaces where needed. · Protect the area with dust sheets and prepare the materials for the job. · Apply primer and undercoat to prepared surfaces, then apply paint or hang wallpaper. · Mix paint to the required shade, sometimes with computerised colour-matching equipment, and add finishes such as stains, varnishes or marbling on some jobs. · Tidy the work area and clean tools after finishing.
Prepared surfaces with primer or undercoat ready for decoration. · Painted or wallpapered surfaces, with special finishes where the assignment calls for them.
These are separate building-trade jobs rather than alternative titles for a painter and decorator.
Read the range
A close Painter Decorator match centres on estimating materials, protecting and preparing surfaces, applying primer, paint or wallpaper, and leaving the area tidy. Decorative finishes or colour matching may be part of an assignment, but they are not described as work on every job.
One quarter of employees earn below this figure.
Half of employees earn below this figure and half above it; it is not the arithmetic midpoint of the displayed range.
One quarter of employees earn above this figure.
Location
Supplementary regional benchmark data are available alongside the national occupation figure.
| Region | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Not published | £31,686 | Not published |
| East Midlands | Not published | £30,800 | Not published |
| North East | Not published | £32,520 | Not published |
| Scotland | Not published | £31,906 | Not published |
| South East | Not published | £31,966 | Not published |
| South West | Not published | £28,216 | Not published |
| Wales | Not published | £29,122 | Not published |
| West Midlands | Not published | £31,560 | Not published |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | Not published | £34,226 | Not published |
The national benchmark is not a local offer estimate: pay can differ by location, employer, duties and working pattern.
Beyond salary
Compare an offer on the same annual-pay and working-hours basis as the benchmark. Separate guaranteed pay from cash that depends on overtime, incentives or shift arrangements, then review benefits on their own terms.
Ask what fixed pay is guaranteed for the contracted hours and pay period.
Ask whether these payments are offered, what triggers them and whether the quoted amount assumes that they will be earned.
Check the terms of any pension, leave, health cover or other benefit separately, because these are not the same as cash earnings.
Offer review
Questions
Source
Source: ONS, 2025-04-30. The figures cover Painters and decorators (5323) and full time employee jobs. Updated 9 October 2026. This broad occupation benchmark may not match every Painter Decorator vacancy.
Put the benchmark to work
Use the salary range as context. Tailor your CV around the experience that supports your target level.
