What is a Transportation Equipment Painter?
Transportation Equipment Painter Definition Operate or tend painting machines to paint surfaces of transportation equipment, such as automobiles, buses, trucks, trains, boats, and airplanes. Includes painters in auto body repair facilities.
Life As a Transportation Equipment Painter: What Do They Do?
- Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths.
- Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.
- Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying of vehicles between coats.
- Pour paint into spray guns and adjust nozzles and paint mixes for proper paint flow and coating thickness.
- Remove accessories, such as chrome or mirrors, from vehicles and mask other surfaces with tape or paper to protect them from paint.
- Select paint according to company requirements and match paint colors, following specified color charts.
Featured schools near , edit
Transportation Equipment Painter Skills
Transportation Equipment Painters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Types of Transportation Equipment Painter Jobs
- Car Painter
- Finish Painter
- Automotive Refinish Technician
- Refinish Technician
- Colorman
What Kind of Transportation Equipment Painter Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 58,100 jobs in the United States for Transportation Equipment Painter. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 3,800 new jobs for Transportation Equipment Painter by 2026. The BLS estimates 6,600 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Transportation Equipment Painter are Utah, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Watch out if you plan on working in Wisconsin, West Virginia, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Transportation Equipment Painters Make A Lot Of Money?
Transportation Equipment Painters make between $27,320 and $70,840 a year.

Transportation Equipment Painters who work in Alaska, Connecticut, or Mississippi, make the highest salaries.
How much do Transportation Equipment Painters make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $42,240 |
Alaska | $55,280 |
Arizona | $39,240 |
Arkansas | $38,720 |
California | $44,780 |
Colorado | $54,740 |
Connecticut | $57,330 |
Delaware | $39,960 |
Florida | $42,990 |
Georgia | $51,040 |
Hawaii | $53,690 |
Idaho | $40,700 |
Illinois | $47,830 |
Indiana | $38,950 |
Iowa | $41,520 |
Kansas | $45,670 |
Kentucky | $46,470 |
Louisiana | $47,500 |
Maine | $41,080 |
Maryland | $52,110 |
Massachusetts | $50,800 |
Michigan | $50,090 |
Minnesota | $46,300 |
Mississippi | $52,330 |
Missouri | $47,500 |
Montana | $46,630 |
Nebraska | $44,190 |
Nevada | $41,680 |
New Hampshire | $58,290 |
New Jersey | $48,570 |
New Mexico | $49,110 |
New York | $49,550 |
North Carolina | $43,750 |
North Dakota | $48,200 |
Ohio | $43,150 |
Oklahoma | $51,410 |
Oregon | $48,160 |
Pennsylvania | $46,830 |
Rhode Island | $48,490 |
South Carolina | $44,680 |
South Dakota | $40,250 |
Tennessee | $45,510 |
Texas | $44,490 |
Utah | $44,270 |
Vermont | $44,390 |
Virginia | $55,290 |
Washington | $58,600 |
West Virginia | $48,200 |
Wisconsin | $42,010 |
Wyoming | $53,650 |
What Tools do Transportation Equipment Painters Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Transportation Equipment Painters may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Data entry software
- Scheduling software
- Inventory control software
- Maintenance management software
How to Become a Transportation Equipment Painter
Are there Transportation Equipment Painters education requirements?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Transportation Equipment Painters?

Below are examples of industries where Transportation Equipment Painters work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Transportation Equipment Painter may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Transportation Equipment Painter sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |