Painters, Construction and Maintenance

Career Overview

Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency.

Also Known As

• Building Trades Painter
• Industrial Painter
• Maintenance Painter
• Painter

Alternate Job Titles

• Architectural Coating Finisher
• Bitumastic Applier
• Bridge Painter
• Brush Painter
• Building Painter
• Building Trades Painter
• Calciminer
• Caulker
• Colored Liquid Plastic Applier
• Commercial Painter
• Construction Painter
• Drywall Sprayer
• Exterior Painter
• Facilities Painter
• Filler

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.
• Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.
• Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Clean tools and equipment, such as brushes and rollers.
• Hang wallpaper.

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Near Vision
• Trunk Strength
• Manual Dexterity
• Oral Comprehension
• Visual Color Discrimination
• Gross Body Equilibrium
• Gross Body Coordination
• Extent Flexibility
• Written Comprehension

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Cautiousness
• Perseverance
• Achievement Orientation

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Support
• Independence
• Working Conditions
• Relationships
• Achievement

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Aerial lifts
• Air compressors
• Airless spray equipment
• Blow torches
• Bosun chairs
• Bucket trucks
• Caulking guns
• Chippers
• Chipping hammers
• Circle cutters
• Combing tools
• Conventional spray equipment
• Desktop computers
• Disk sanders
• Drywall axes

Work Environment

• Spend Time Standing
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Telephone Conversations
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
• Time Pressure

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$36,680
Median	$48,660
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$76,550

Workers Employed Nationally: 224,180

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.