Commercial painting recruiters serving Los Angeles.
Studio set and theme work is a specialty niche. High-rise exterior work and industrial coatings for Port of LA are also real drivers. NACE-certified industrial painters are in tight supply.
Two industries, two credential tiers.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: Hollywood's studio expansions and the Port of LA modernization as the two drivers of specialty coatings demand.
We recruit across the full org chart for commercial painting contractors in Los Angeles against that documented context.
Sound stages, and a modernizing port.
Two named drivers, spanning two genuinely different skill sets.
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Studios expanding sound stages and post-production facilities - the named driver behind specialty studio set and themed-environment coatings work.
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Heavy mechanical, terminal automation, and electrification per California Air Resources Board regulations - the named driver behind NACE-certified industrial coatings demand.
What commercial painting roles pay in Los Angeles.
In the Los Angeles metro, BLS puts the median for painters, construction and maintenance at $59,080 a year, 20% above the $49,400 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Los Angeles ranks 12th on pay. Most of the market sits between $42,130 and $85,130. Of the other field roles, industrial coatings sprayer pays the most locally, at a $54,870 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Commercial Painting Salary Guide.
| Role | Los Angeles median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial PainterPainters, Construction and Maintenance (47-2141) | $59,080 | $42,130–$85,130 | $49,400 | +20% | 12,100 |
| Painter HelperHelpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons (47-3014) | $47,260 | $37,590–$60,080 | $40,470 | +17% | 550 |
| Industrial Coatings SprayerCoating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (51-9124) | $54,870 | $36,470–$82,310 | $48,250 | +14% | 4,580 |
| Painting ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $97,600 | $58,240–$154,940 | $79,920 | +22% | – |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,260 | $51,220–$140,390 | $78,740 | +4% | – |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Los Angeles metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Headcount is shown for field occupations only; management, estimating and supervisory codes are counted across every industry in the metro.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how Los Angeles commercial painting hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name the studio expansions and Port of LA, not LAX Modernization
The $30B LAX Modernization Program is named in the hub's own data as the largest single airport capital program in the US, but the painting mini specifically names studio set/theme work and Port of LA industrial coatings, so that's what we report.
Why studio set/theme work is a distinct specialty from industrial coatings
The hub draws a clear line: specialty studio set/theme work and NACE-certified industrial coatings for the port are two genuinely different skill sets, both in tight supply.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified studio/themed-environment coatings experience for entertainment-industry roles, and NACE certification for Port of LA-adjacent roles - two distinct credential pools.
Realistic timelines
Standard commercial painting roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer, consistent with the region's broader hiring timeline. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The commercial painting positions we fill, most often.
Across all Los Angeles commercial painting clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Studio set/themed-environment painter
- NACE-certified industrial painter (port facilities)
- High-rise exterior coatings applicator
- Commercial painting project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Los Angeles, see the Los Angeles metro overview. To learn more about commercial painting generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Commercial Painting industry page.
How we recruit commercial painting in Los Angeles, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Los Angeles's commercial painting segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Los Angeles painting work, we also confirm whether the role is studio/themed-environment or industrial port scope.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Los Angeles commercial painting candidate network, filtered for the right credential tier.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real coatings history rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against Los Angeles's documented general context.
Los Angeles runs 33% more commercial painting workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Painters, Construction and Maintenance. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Los Angeles's commercial painting market compares
In 2023 the Los Angeles metro had 185 nonresidential painting contractors (counted by business location), with about 3,298 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $66,058, in line with the national average of $67,733 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 3.7% over the year, in step with a 1.9% national decline. That works out to 1.4 per 100,000 residents against 2.0 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro. These firms account for 1.3% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Los Angeles ranks 1st for headcount, 10th for median pay and 27th for concentration for painters, construction and maintenance. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 12,100 | $59,080 | 1.33 | 185 |
| San Francisco | 5,310 | $63,600 | 1.54 | 58 |
| San Diego | 4,040 | $55,970 | 1.81 | 49 |
| Riverside | 3,750 | $48,910 | 1.51 | 55 |
| Sacramento | 2,410 | $59,510 | 1.54 | 38 |
| San Jose | 2,410 | $61,970 | 1.47 | 32 |
| Fresno | 680 | $52,700 | 0.98 | 10 |
| Stockton | 590 | $50,290 | 1.42 | 5 |
| Bakersfield | 520 | $58,540 | 1.05 | 5 |
| Modesto | 480 | $48,960 | 1.71 | 2 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial painting employers in Los Angeles, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Los Angeles metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Los Angeles's commercial painting market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential painting contractors in Los Angeles rose from 178 in 2018 to 185 in 2023, up 4%, ahead of the 4% national decline. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 3,298. Average annual pay there went from $53,566 to $66,058 (+23%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential painting contractors: business locations | 178 | 185 | +4% |
| Nonresidential painting contractors: employment | 3,300 | 3,298 | −0% |
| Nonresidential painting contractors: average annual pay | $53,566 | $66,058 | +23% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — commercial painting hiring in Los Angeles.
What are Los Angeles's two named painting demand centers?
The $3B+ Hollywood/entertainment studio expansion wave (studio set/theme work) and the $2.5B+ Port of LA modernization (industrial coatings) - both named directly in the metro's own data.
What is driving commercial painting demand in Los Angeles right now?
Studio set/theme work is a specialty niche. High-rise exterior and industrial coatings for Port of LA are also real drivers. NACE-certified industrial painters are in tight supply.
What do painters, construction and maintenance earn in Los Angeles?
BLS puts the Los Angeles median for painters, construction and maintenance at $59,080 a year, 20% above the $49,400 national median. That ranks 12th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $42,130 and $85,130, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $63,600.
Is it hard to hire painters, construction and maintenance in Los Angeles?
Not by national standards. Painters, construction and maintenance make up 33% more of the Los Angeles workforce than they do nationally, about 12,100 people. The 185 nonresidential painting contractors here average about 18 employees per location.
Which commercial painting roles pay the most in Los Angeles?
Of the roles we recruit for, Painting Foreman pays the most in Los Angeles, a $97,600 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Painter at $59,080, 39% below it. Painter Helper is the lowest-paid field role at $47,260. Relative to national pay, Painting Foreman is the strongest-paying role here (22% above).
How many nonresidential painting contractors operate in Los Angeles?
BLS counted 185 nonresidential painting contractors in Los Angeles in 2023, employing about 3,298 people between them. Up from 178 in 2018, a 4% increase against 4% decline nationally. That averages 18 people per location. They pay about the national average of $67,733.
Which nearby metros compete with Los Angeles for painters, construction and maintenance?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Riverside (49 miles, about 3,750, $48,910 median), Bakersfield (101 miles, about 520, $58,540 median) and San Diego (111 miles, about 4,040, $55,970 median). Los Angeles out-pays Riverside and San Diego, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Hiring commercial painting talent in Los Angeles?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.