Career
Painters, construction and maintenance
Paint buildings, inside and out.
$49,400
Median pay
+3.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
24,900
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
- Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
- Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
- Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
- Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Time Management, Critical Thinking, Coordination.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $49,400 a year and 24,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Painting/Painter and Wall CovererCIP 46.0408
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600 · +1.3%
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons$40,470 · +1.5%
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons$57,660 · +2.8%
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,250 · +2.5%
- Furniture Finishers$44,540 · -3.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.