Painters (Construction and Maintenance)
Career, Salary and Education Information
What They Do: Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, bridges, and other structures.
Work Environment: Painters work indoors and outdoors in many different work environments. Painting is physically demanding and requires a lot of bending, kneeling, reaching, and climbing. Painters who paint bridges or buildings may be exposed to extreme heights and uncomfortable positions.
How to Become One: Most painters learn their trade on the job. No formal education is typically required to enter the occupation.
Salary: The median annual wage for painters, construction and maintenance is $45,590.
Job Outlook: Employment of painters is projected to show little or no change over the next ten years.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of painters, construction and maintenance with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a painter with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Top 3 Painter Jobs
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Painter
- Badger
- La Crosse, WI
Millwork Painter /Stainer Typical Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday (1st or 2nd shift) Staining, painting , cleaning, and quality inspection ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS * Understand and read work ...
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Auto Body Painter Helper
- El Reno Paint and Body Shop
- El Reno, OK
Responsibilities: * Assist painter with prepping parts and vehicles * Work on auto painting projects using PPG certified products and techniques * Perform wet sanding, sanding, buffing, and auto ...
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Coater Helper
- Precoat Metals
- Washington, MO
They will operate a forklift to pull and stage paint for upcoming orders. They will perform roll replacements and operate a roll grinding Lathe. Essential Job Functions: * Reads, comprehends and ...
What Construction and Maintenance Painters Do[About this section] [To Top]
Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, bridges, and other structures.
Duties of Construction and Maintenance Painters
Painters typically do the following:
- Cover floors, furniture, and trim with drop cloths, tarps, and masking tape to protect surfaces
- Remove and replace pictures and outlet and switch covers
- Install scaffolding and raise ladders
- Fill holes and cracks with putty or plaster
- Prepare surfaces by scraping, wire brushing, or sanding to a smooth finish
- Calculate the size of the area to be painted and the amount of paint needed for the area
- Apply primers or sealers so the paint will stick to the surface
- Apply paint or other finishes, using hand brushes, rollers, or sprayers
Paints and other sealers protect surfaces from damage caused by weather, sunlight, and pollution.
There are several ways to apply paint to a surface, and painters must choose the correct tool for each job, such as a roller, power sprayer, or brush. Choosing the right tool typically depends on the type of surface to be painted and the characteristics of the paint to be used. Some employers require painters to provide their own equipment.
Painters may wear special safety equipment for a job. For example, painters working in confined spaces, such as the inside of a large storage tank, must wear self-contained suits to avoid inhaling toxic fumes. Some painters wear additional clothing and protective eyewear when operating abrasive blasters to remove old coatings. When painting bridges, ships, tall buildings, or oil rigs, painters may work from scaffolding or harnesses.
Work Environment for Construction and Maintenance Painters[About this section] [To Top]
Construction and maintenance painters hold about 365,300 jobs. The largest employers of painters, construction and maintenance are as follows:
| Self-employed workers | 42% |
| Painting and wall covering contractors | 37% |
| Residential building construction | 4% |
| Government | 2% |
| Nonresidential building construction | 1% |
Painters work on a variety of structures, including bridges, machinery, and the interiors and exteriors of buildings. Painting requires a lot of bending, kneeling, reaching, and climbing. Those who paint bridges or buildings may work at extreme heights or in uncomfortable positions; some painters are suspended by ropes or cables as they work.
Painters typically work both indoors and outdoors. When working outside or in confined spaces, painters may be exposed to extreme temperatures.
Painters may need to wear special safety equipment for a job. For example, painters working in confined spaces, such as the inside of a large storage tank, must wear self-contained suits to avoid inhaling toxic fumes. Some painters wear additional clothing and protective eyewear when operating abrasive blasters to remove old coatings. When painting bridges, ships, tall buildings, or oil rigs, painters may work from scaffolding or harnesses.
Injuries and Illnesses for Construction and Maintenance Painters
Painters risk injury on the job. Common hazards include falls from ladders, muscle strains from lifting, and exposure to drywall dust and other irritants.
Construction and Maintenance Painter Work Schedules
Most painters work full time. Self-employed painters may be able to set their own schedules. Industrial painters may be required to travel for work. Painting jobs that are outdoors may be seasonal.
How to Become a Construction and Maintenance Painter[About this section] [To Top]
Get the education you need: Find schools for Construction and Maintenance Painters near you!
Most painters learn their trade on the job. No formal education is typically required to enter the occupation.
Education for Construction and Maintenance Painters
There are no formal education requirements to become a painter, although some technical schools offer certificates in painting and some workers learn to paint in apprenticeship programs.
Construction and Maintenance Painter Training
Most painters learn their trade on the job. They learn how to prepare surfaces, apply coating, hang wall covering, and match colors. Painters may have to complete additional safety training in order to work with scaffolding and harnesses.
Although less common, workers who have a high school diploma or equivalent and who are at least 18 years old can become painters through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship. For each year of a typical program, apprentices complete at least 144 hours of technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training before becoming journey workers. Some apprenticeship programs give preference to veterans.
Although the vast majority of workers learn their trade on the job or through an apprenticeship, some contractors offer their own training program for new workers.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Construction and Maintenance Painters
Those interested in industrial painting can earn several certifications from NACE International Institute or from the Society for Protective Coatings. Courses range from 1 day to several weeks, depending on the certification program and specialty. Applicants also must meet work experience requirements.
The National Association of Home Builders, through the Home Builders Institute, offers Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT), which provides entry-level training for painting and other construction occupations.
Important Qualities for Construction and Maintenance Painters
Color vision. Painters must be able to identify and differentiate between subtle changes in color.
Customer-service skills. Painters who work in residential settings often interact with clients. They must communicate with clients in order to help select colors and application techniques.
Detail oriented. Painters must be precise when creating or painting edges, because minor flaws can be noticeable.
Physical stamina. Painters should be able to stay physically active for many hours, because they spend much of the workday standing with their arms extended while climbing ladders.
Physical strength. Painters must be able to lift up to 50 pounds, and they move numerous heavy items during the course of a job. For example, a 5-gallon bucket of paint weighs more than 40 pounds.
Construction and Maintenance Painter Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for painters, construction and maintenance is $45,590. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $29,770, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $70,570.
The median annual wages for construction and maintenance painters in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Government | $60,570 |
| Nonresidential building construction | $48,380 |
| Residential building construction | $46,080 |
| Painting and wall covering contractors | $44,040 |
Apprentices make less than fully trained painters, but they receive increases as they learn to do more.
Most painters work full time. Self-employed workers may be able to set their own schedule.
Job Outlook for Construction and Maintenance Painters[About this section] [To Top]
Employment of painters is projected to show little or no change over the next ten years.
Despite limited employment growth, about 31,600 openings for painters, construction and maintenance are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment of Construction and Maintenance Painters
The expected increase in new construction will continue to create a need for painters. Investors who sell or lease properties also will require painters' services. However, many homeowners choose to do painting themselves rather than hire workers for it, which will temper employment growth for painters.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Painters (construction and maintenance) | 365,300 | 370,100 | 1 | 4,900 |
More Construction and Maintenance Painter Information[About this section] [To Top]
Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online or by phone at 877-872-5627. For details about apprenticeships or other work opportunities for painters, contact the offices of the state employment service, the state apprenticeship agency, local contractors, or firms that employ painters. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to search for apprenticeship opportunities.
For more information about painters and training opportunities, visit
Associated Builders and Contractors
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
Painting Contractors Association
For more information about pre-apprenticeship training, visit
For more information about the work of industrial painters and about opportunities for training and certification as a protective coating specialist, visit
Society of Protective Coatings
For information about opportunities for military veterans, visit:
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.