- Hawaii's Contractors License Board licenses painting and decorating contractors as specialty contractors, under the C-33 Painting and decorating contractor classification.
- Pay runs from about $22.64 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of painters to $43.67 for the top tenth.
The path in Hawaii, step by step
Hawaii licenses painting work at the state level through the Hawaii Contractors License Board, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Apply to the Contractors License Board for the C-33 Painting and decorating contractor specialty classification.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: painting contractor license in Hawaii.
Finding an apprenticeship in Hawaii
Hawaii runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Hawaii State Apprenticeship Agency as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. Painting apprenticeships are less common, but where they exist they last 3 or 4 years and are open to people with a high school diploma or equivalent who are at least 18.
License levels and exams in Hawaii
The license to aim for: C-33 Painting and decorating contractor.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| C-33a Wall coverings | Wall coverings. |
| C-33c Surface treatment | Surface treatment. |
What painters earn in Hawaii
The median painter in Hawaii earned $32.80 an hour in May 2025, the highest median of any state, with 1,900 on payrolls. The national median was $23.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of painters in Hawaii earned under $28.59 an hour and a tenth under $22.64. At the top, a quarter earned over $41.00 and a tenth over $43.67.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.64 | $47,090 |
| 25th percentile | $28.59 | $59,480 |
| Median | $32.80 | $68,220 |
| 75th percentile | $41.00 | $85,280 |
| 90th percentile | $43.67 | $90,830 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: painter salary in Hawaii.
Starting your own painter business in Hawaii
To contract on your own in Hawaii, the license is the C-33 Painting and decorating contractor.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Hawaii median of $32.80 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $128.19 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start a painting business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Hawaii's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Contractors License Board (checked 2026-10-09)
- Description of contractor license classifications (PDF) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2141
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Painters, Construction and Maintenance (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a painter.