Economic Contributions

Paints and coatings provide real value and are necessary for protecting and preserving the objects to which they are applied. Coatings are applied to almost everything we own and use, prolonging usefulness and providing protection from scratches, rust and corrosion.

The industry makes significant contributions to the U.S. economy and to the people employed in the industry.

  • The U.S. paint and coatings industry employed over 348,900 people in 2007.
  • In 2006, product shipments by U.S. paint and coatings producers totaled $22.5 billion.
  • The industry is comprised of approximately 54,600 establishments.
  • The payroll for the U.S. paint and coatings industry reached $13.5 billion in 2007.
  • The U.S. paint and coatings industry paid an average annual wage of $38,800 in 2007, an increase of nearly 2% over 2006, adjusted for inflation.
  • Average annual wages in the painting and wall covering contractors sector rose by 3% in 2007 to $34,000, compared to a 2% inflation-adjusted increase in average annual wages for the total private sector.
  • The highest average annual wage for industry was paid by the paint and coatings manufacturing sector at $57,400 in 2007.
  • The highest paid paint and coatings industry wages were those in Ohio, where the annual average wage was $53,100 in 2007, up by 13% since 1997, adjusted for inflation.
  • New Jersey�s 9,100 paint and coatings industry workers received the second highest annual average wages at $48,300 in 2007, jumping by almost five percent between 2003 and 2007, adjusted for inflation.
  • According to 2006 data, coatings products increased the value for other products to which they were applied by more than $12 billion.


Top 10 States with the Highest Number of Paint and Coatings Industry Employees


Top 30 States with the Highest Number of Paint and Coatings Establishments


U.S. Exports

  • The United States exported $1.6 billion in paint and coatings products in 2007, up by 3% or $43 million from 2006.
  • The U.S. paint and coatings industry posted a trade surplus of $933 million in 2007, rising 1% from 2006 and 52% from 1997.
  • The third largest export market for U.S. paint and coatings products was China at $60 million in 2007.
  • Over 60 percent of all U.S. paint and coatings industry exports were sold to our NAFTA partners in 2007, totaling more than $1 billion.
  • The U.S. NAFTA partners of Canada and Mexico were the first and second largest markets for U.S. exports in paint and coatings products for 2007. U.S. exports to Canada reached a record high of $760 million, while exports to Mexico totaled $245 million in 2007.
  • Germany and Japan rounded out the top five leading export markets of U.S. paint and coatings products in 2007, at $44 million and $40 million, respectively.

 

The American Coatings Association (ACA) is a voluntary, nonprofit trade association working to advance the needs of the paint and coatings industry and the professionals who work in it. The organization represents paint and coatings manufacturers, raw materials suppliers, distributors, and technical professionals. ACA serves as an advocate and ally for members on legislative, regulatory and judicial issues, and provides forums for the advancement and promotion of the industry through educational and professional development services.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Census, 2007 Annual Survey of Manufacturers; Manufacturers' � Economic Census; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; U.S. Bureau of Census, Foreign Trade Division, Origin of Movement Series.