Painting
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Painting occupation series (code 4102).
The verdict
In the Painting and Paperhanging Family family, Painting counts 3,572 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.2% from the prior period; pay averages $76,440, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 3,572
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $76,440
- Avg tenure
- 11.5 yrs
FedScope read on Painting (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 3,572 people in the Painting occupation (OPM code 4102), accounting for 0.2% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved up by 0.2% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Painting runs 11.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $76,440 per year, down -0.3% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Painting sits inside the Painting and Paperhanging Family family (code 41), which contains 3 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Painting postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Painting and Paperhanging Family family.
Inside the Painting and Paperhanging Family family (3 occupations, 3,676 employees combined), Painting holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 97.2% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks right at the midpoint of pay among Painting and Paperhanging Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Painting pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$76,440
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-34.9%
Where Painting ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $76,440 is higher than 33% of federal occupation series (179 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Painting sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Painting ranks higher than 33%.
Related Occupations in Painting and Paperhanging Family
2 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Painting | 77 | $73,223 | 15.4 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Painting and Paperhanging | 27 | n/a | 14.9 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Painting outside the Painting and Paperhanging Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (3,572 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($76,440 here).
Key takeaways
- Painting pays below the federal average by 34.9% ($76,440 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 33rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 3,572 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.2% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Painting ranks #111 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Painting and Paperhanging Family family (3 occupations, 3,676 employees combined), Painting holds the #1 spot by headcount, a 97.2% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.