- Utah's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing issues a S270 Drywall, Paint, and Plastering Contractor specialty contractor license that covers painting, varnish, stain and other coatings.
- A 25 hour pre-licensure course for specialty contractors, from an approved provider.
- Pay runs from about $17.41 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of painters to $31.62 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 21.6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 1.5% projected nationally.
The path in Utah, step by step
Utah licenses painting work at the state level through the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Complete the 25 hour pre-licensure course.
- Register your business entity and get a federal EIN.
- Get general liability and workers' compensation insurance naming DOPL.
- Apply to DOPL for the S270 classification.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: painting contractor license in Utah.
Finding an apprenticeship in Utah
Utah has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Utah Apprenticeship Office 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 Utah
The license to aim for: S270 Drywall, Paint, and Plastering Contractor.
Coming from another state. Contractors licensed in another state may qualify for a Utah license by endorsement.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| S270 | Drywall, plaster and stucco, and paint, varnish, stain and other coatings. |
What painters earn in Utah
The median painter in Utah earned $22.14 an hour in May 2025, 39th of 51 states, with 3,510 on payrolls. The national median was $23.75.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of painters in Utah earned under $18.32 an hour and a tenth under $17.41. At the top, a quarter earned over $25.89 and a tenth over $31.62.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.41 | $36,220 |
| 25th percentile | $18.32 | $38,100 |
| Median | $22.14 | $46,050 |
| 75th percentile | $25.89 | $53,840 |
| 90th percentile | $31.62 | $65,780 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: painter salary in Utah.
Jobs ahead in Utah
Utah's labor market office projects jobs for painters growing from 5,700 in 2022 to 6,930 in 2032, a change of 21.6%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 610 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 21.6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 1.5% projected nationally, ranking 2nd of the 50 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group painters, construction and maintenance.
Starting your own painter business in Utah
To contract on your own in Utah, the license is the S270 Drywall, Paint, and Plastering Contractor.
Insurance. General liability of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 total, with DOPL as certificate holder, plus workers' compensation.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Utah median of $22.14 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $109.47 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 Utah'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.
- Specialty contractor license (checked 2026-10-09)
- R156-55a, construction trades licensing rule (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2141
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- 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.