Construction and Extraction · Holland code RCA
Painters, Construction and Maintenance
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 called: Building Trades Painter, Industrial Painter, Maintenance Painter, Painter, Commercial Painter, Facilities Painter, Highway Painter, House Painter.
O*NET 47-2141.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $49,400
- Middle half earn $44,640 to $61,660. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 49% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
- US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034
- +4% · As fast as average
- 342,200 jobs in 2024, projected 355,200. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Painters, construction and maintenance".
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
- Monitoring2.9 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
- Speaking2.4 / 5
- Writing2.0 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service3.2 / 5
- Building and Construction3.0 / 5
- Administration and Management2.9 / 5
- Public Safety and Security2.8 / 5
- Chemistry2.7 / 5
- Transportation2.6 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative8
- Artistic25
- Social4
- Enterprising0
- Conventional42
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- construction painter · DE Maler/Malerin · FR peintre en bâtiment
- transport equipment painter · DE Fahrzeuglackierer/Fahrzeuglackiererin · FR peintre pour les équipements de transport
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Painters and decorators (5323)86,200 employed
- Vehicle paint technicians (5233)15,500 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.59. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2141).
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