How much do you pay for a painter?

How much you pay for a painter in United States in 2025 to 2026 depends on type of job, location, and whether you pay hourly, per day, or per square foot, but typical ranges are as follows. For house painter painting interior room, you pay 300 to 900 dollars per room including labor and materials for standard 12x12 bedroom. For exterior house painting, you pay 3000 to 8000 dollars for average 2000 square foot house. Hourly, you pay 30 to 75 dollars per hour per painter, with independent painters 25 to 50 dollars per hour and painting company crew 50 to 100 dollars per hour. Per day, you pay 200 to 500 dollars per day per painter, or 600 to 1500 dollars per day for crew of 2 to 3. Per square foot, you pay 2 to 6 dollars per square foot of wall area for interior and 1.50 to 4 dollars for exterior, materials often extra. For 2000 square foot interior house, total is 4000 to 12000 dollars. For artistic painter or muralist, you pay 30 to 150 dollars per hour. Factors affecting price include prep needed, height, number of coats, paint quality, and region. Always get written estimate with scope, paint brand, and warranty, and expect to pay 10 to 30 percent upfront, not full amount before work starts.