Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
What it pays
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers earn a median of $20.00/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.13/hr; the top 10% earn $29.24/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers earn a median of $20.00/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.13/hr; the top 10% earn $29.24/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
- Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
- Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
- Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.
- Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
- Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 3.5% of painting, coating, and decorating workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, creative and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a painting, coating, and decorating worker make?
- The median pay is $20.00 per hour — roughly $41,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.13/hr (10th percentile) to $29.24/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a painting, coating, and decorating worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
- What does a painting, coating, and decorating worker actually do all day?
- Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes. Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas. Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.