Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
Guiding people or projects, setting direction, taking responsibility, and helping others succeed.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Construction and Maintenance Painter Some specialty painters may need certification. Painters typically learn their trade on the job. No formal
Education
is typically required to enter the occupation. Education There are no formal education requirements to become a painter. Some technical schools offer optional certificates in painting.
Training
Painters typically learn on the job: 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, painting apprenticeships lasting 3 or 4 years may be available for candidates who have a high school diploma or equivalent and who are at least 18 years old. For each year of a typical program, apprentices must complete a predetermined number of hours of technical training and paid on-the-job training before becoming journey workers. Apprenticeship program requirements differ based on the type of program and by region. Although most painters learn their trade on the job or through an apprenticeship, some new workers enter training programs offered by the hiring contractor.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides certification for lead paint abatement. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. Some states require licensing for lead paint removal. Contact your state’s licensing board for more information. Employers may require workers to have a driver’s license to commute to jobsites. Advancement After gaining experience, painters may advance to supervisors, superintendents, or managers, directing other painters and the jobsite. Painters may also work as estimators or start their own business. Painters who work in a union may have advancement opportunities within the organization as a union official, training instructor, or business manager.
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Review training, certifications, apprenticeships, or employer-based preparation that may support entry into this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of painters, construction and maintenance is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 24,900 openings for painters, construction and maintenance are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many 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 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. Construction and Maintenance Painters Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Construction trades workers 6% Painters, construction and maintenance 3% Total, all occupations 3% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Construction and Maintenance Painters Do
Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, large machinery and equipment, and bridges and other structures.
Duties
Painters typically do the following:
- Protect floors, furniture, and trim by covering surfaces with drop cloths and tarps and securing with tape
- Install scaffolding and raise ladders
- Fill holes and cracks with putty or plaster
- Prepare surfaces by removing outlet and switch covers and 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, coatings, or other finishes, using hand brushes, rollers, or sprayers
Painters apply liquid coatings and other sealers that dry into solids to add texture or color to interiors and to protect exterior surfaces from damage caused by weather, sunlight, and pollution.
For each job, painters must choose the correct tool, such as a roller, power sprayer, or brush. There are several ways to apply paint, and deciding on which tool to use typically depends on both the type of surface to be painted and the characteristics of the paint. Some employers require painters to provide their own tools
The following are types of painters:
Commercial painters prepare and paint the interiors and exteriors of offices, businesses, and other nonresidential buildings. Commercial painters may work with and be responsible for large areas due to the size of buildings involved in nonresidential projects.
Industrial painters prepare and paint large machinery, such as industrial or manufacturing equipment; vehicles, such as cars and ships; and structures, such as bridges and water towers. Industrial painters may also apply special coating materials to structure or equipment surfaces to protect them from corrosion or deterioration.
Industrial painters must contain the area in which they are working to prevent hazardous materials from contaminating the environment and exposing the public to risks. Industrial and commercial painters also must perform quality control and quality assurance to ensure that they find mistakes, meet technical specifications, and use materials appropriately.
Residential painters prepare and paint the interiors and exteriors of homes and multifamily residential buildings. Residential painters may interact with customers living in the home while painting is in progress. As a result, residential painters may need to adjust their hours or work plans to accommodate customer needs or schedules.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Painters, construction and maintenance held about 326,900 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of painters, construction and maintenance were as follows:
| Painting and wall covering contractors | 42% |
| Self-employed workers | 31 |
| Residential building construction | 5 |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 2 |
| Nonresidential building construction | 2 |
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
Painters risk injury on the job. Common hazards include falls from ladders, muscle strains from lifting, and exposure to drywall dust and other irritants.
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.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Ability to work at heights. Painters must be able to work at heights on scaffolding, lifts, and ladders. Communication skills. Painters interact with clients and must be able to convey information in order to ensure accuracy of color selection and application techniques. Painters must also communicate with coworkers. Detail oriented. Painters must be precise when creating or painting edges for overall quality of appearance. Physical stamina. Painters should be able to stay physically active for many hours and spend much of the workday standing or climbing ladders. Physical strength. Painters must be able to lift at least 50 pounds and move heavy items during the course of a job.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about painters, construction and maintenance by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.