Average Vehicle Painter Salary in Washington D.C., United States for 2025

In this article, we will look at the average Vehicle Painter salary for 2025 in Washington D.C. and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Vehicle Painter Make in Washington D.C.?

A Vehicle Painter working in Washington D.C. will typically earn around 29,600 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 14,200 USD to the highest average salary of 50,300 USD.

Average Annual Salary29,600 USD
Average Monthly Salary2,466 USD
Average Lowest Salary14,200 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary1,183 USD
Average Highest Salary50,300 USD
Highest Monthly Salary4,191 USD

These are average salaries for a Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Vehicle Painter to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Vehicle Painter salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Vehicle Painter Salaries in Washington D.C.

So we've looked at the average salaries a Vehicle Painter will earn in Washington D.C.. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Vehicle Painter can earn between 14,200 USD and 50,300 USD on average in Washington D.C.. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. is 33,500 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 33,500 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 33,500 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Vehicle Painter salary in Washington D.C., 25% of the population are earning less than 20,000 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 20,000 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 46,400 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 46,400 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Vehicle Painter Salary by Experience Level in Washington D.C.

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Vehicle Painter salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 16,800 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Vehicle Painter salary would increase to 20,100 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Vehicle Painter, the average salary would be 30,300 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 38,000 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Vehicle Painter with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 43,500 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Vehicle Painter with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 46,100 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
16,800 USD
2-5 Years+34%
20,100 USD
5-10 Years+48%
30,300 USD
10-15 Years+22%
38,000 USD
15-20 Years+9%
43,500 USD
20+ Years+8%
46,100 USD

Vehicle Painter Salary by Education Level in Washington D.C.

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. with a high school education can earn an average salary of 20,300 USD.
  • Certificate or Diploma. A Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 30,800 USD.
  • Bachelor's Degree. A Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 48,500 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
20,300 USD
Certificate or Diploma+57%
30,800 USD
Bachelor's Degree+68%
48,500 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Vehicle Painter Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Washington D.C., a male vehicle painter will earn an average of 34,100 USD, while a female vehicle painter will earn around 31,400 USD.

This means that a male vehicle painter earns approximately 9% more than a female vehicle painter for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Washington D.C.

Male-
34,100 USD
Female-9%
31,400 USD

Vehicle Painter Average Pay Raise in Washington D.C.

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. is around 9% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that a Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C. can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Washington D.C. for 2025

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
4%
Energy-
8%
Information Technology-
3%
Healthcare-
7%
Travel-
2%
Construction-
6%
Education-
1%

Vehicle Painter Bonus and Incentive Rates in Washington D.C.

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Vehicle Painter is a low bonus based job, with 34% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

66% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
34%
No Bonus-
66%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
98,800 USD
Private Sector-6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Vehicle Painter

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Vehicle Painter in Washington D.C..

Job TitleCategorySalary
After Sales Automotive ManagerAutomotive105,200 USD
Alignment TechnicianAutomotive30,700 USD
Auto Damage AdjusterAutomotive39,500 USD
Auto DetailerAutomotive36,800 USD
Auto Parts ManagerAutomotive115,600 USD
Automotive AssemblerAutomotive38,700 USD
Automotive Assembly ManagerAutomotive107,700 USD
Automotive Assembly OperatorAutomotive33,800 USD
Automotive Body RepairerAutomotive35,100 USD
Automotive Branch ManagerAutomotive156,200 USD
Automotive Central PlannerAutomotive54,600 USD
Automotive ElectricianAutomotive44,700 USD
Automotive Engineering TechnicianAutomotive50,100 USD
Automotive Estimating ManagerAutomotive90,000 USD
Automotive EstimatorAutomotive78,200 USD
Automotive General ManagerAutomotive185,900 USD
Automotive Inventory OfficerAutomotive35,000 USD
Automotive ManagerAutomotive172,100 USD
Automotive Master MechanicAutomotive51,800 USD
Automotive Parts SupplierAutomotive51,100 USD
Automotive Project EngineerAutomotive65,900 USD
Automotive Project ManagerAutomotive123,000 USD
Automotive Purchase ManagerAutomotive138,700 USD
Automotive SalesAutomotive69,800 USD
Automotive Service TechnicianAutomotive36,600 USD
Automotive TechnicianAutomotive33,300 USD
Automotive TechnicianAutomotive35,400 USD
Automotive Test EngineerAutomotive61,500 USD
Automotive Warranty AdministratorAutomotive61,300 USD
Automotive Warranty ClerkAutomotive39,700 USD
Car Parts and Accessories FitterAutomotive33,000 USD
Car SalesmanAutomotive73,800 USD
Damage AppraiserAutomotive52,000 USD
Diesel Engine SpecialistAutomotive46,700 USD
Job Card OpenerAutomotive34,000 USD
Lube TechnicianAutomotive26,900 USD
Master File MaintenanceAutomotive48,600 USD
Materials PlannerAutomotive54,100 USD
MechanicAutomotive34,800 USD
Motor Vehicle InspectorAutomotive54,100 USD
Motorcycle MechanicAutomotive38,700 USD
Service AdvisorAutomotive66,000 USD
Service ManagerAutomotive109,000 USD
Stock ControllerAutomotive45,200 USD
Technical AdvisorAutomotive68,200 USD
Tire RetreaderAutomotive30,200 USD
Used Car ManagerAutomotive95,500 USD
Vehicle Body MakerAutomotive46,300 USD
Vehicle ExaminerAutomotive48,000 USD
Vehicle TrimmerAutomotive32,200 USD
WelderAutomotive30,800 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Atlanta26,400 USD
Austin34,000 USD
Baltimore30,800 USD
Boston31,700 USD
Bristol22,800 USD
Chicago34,800 USD
Cincinnati23,600 USD
Cleveland26,300 USD
Dallas34,000 USD
Denver30,700 USD
Detroit30,000 USD
Honolulu23,600 USD
Houston33,000 USD
Indianapolis33,200 USD
Iowa City23,300 USD
Jacksonville32,600 USD
Kansas City27,400 USD
Kent24,800 USD
Las Vegas29,400 USD
Long Beach30,800 USD
Los Angeles36,800 USD
Memphis32,200 USD
Miami27,700 USD
Minneapolis27,000 USD
New Orleans28,800 USD
New York34,400 USD
Oakland25,800 USD
Oklahoma City29,100 USD
Orlando23,600 USD
Philadelphia35,000 USD
Phoenix35,000 USD
Sacramento31,200 USD
San Antonio33,000 USD
San Diego36,500 USD
San Francisco31,700 USD
San Jose30,700 USD
Seattle32,200 USD
Tampa26,500 USD
Vancouver25,800 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

StateAverage Salary
Alabama30,000 USD
Alaska25,500 USD
Arizona33,300 USD
Arkansas32,900 USD
California32,300 USD
Colorado30,700 USD
Connecticut29,200 USD
Delaware26,300 USD
District of Columbia29,600 USD
Florida34,300 USD
Georgia31,400 USD
Hawaii27,400 USD
Idaho26,400 USD
Illinois33,000 USD
Indiana32,200 USD
Iowa30,300 USD
Kansas29,600 USD
Kentucky30,800 USD
Louisiana29,600 USD
Maine29,600 USD
Maryland32,300 USD
Massachusetts35,100 USD
Michigan30,200 USD
Minnesota30,100 USD
Mississippi30,800 USD
Missouri31,400 USD
Montana29,300 USD
Nebraska29,100 USD
Nevada26,900 USD
New Hampshire26,100 USD
New Jersey32,900 USD
New Mexico29,300 USD
New York34,400 USD
North Carolina30,200 USD
North Dakota26,600 USD
Ohio32,300 USD
Oklahoma30,800 USD
Oregon30,000 USD
Pennsylvania33,000 USD
Rhode Island24,800 USD
South Carolina30,800 USD
South Dakota26,900 USD
Tennessee30,300 USD
Texas33,800 USD
Utah29,100 USD
Vermont27,600 USD
Virginia30,200 USD
Washington33,200 USD
West Virginia27,700 USD
Wisconsin31,700 USD
Wyoming26,100 USD

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