Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers: Career Profile
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
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What Tasks Do Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Do?
Typical responsibilities of painting, coating, and decorating workers include:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Top painting, coating, and decorating workers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Air Brush Decorator
- Air Brush Operator
- Airbrush Painter
- Art Gilder
- Auto Body Painter (Automotive Body Painter)
- Babbitter
- Bake Off Decorator
- Bakery Decorator
How Many Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Are There?
There are about 334,527 painting, coating, and decorating workers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +12.0% over the projection horizon.
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $67,235 |
| Hourly median | $32.32 |
| 10th percentile | $38,781 |
| 25th percentile | $53,008 |
| 75th percentile | $81,461 |
| 90th percentile | $95,688 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $68,140 |
| Washington | $61,270 |
| Massachusetts | $52,320 |
| Illinois | $51,270 |
| New Jersey | $50,700 |
| Georgia | $48,940 |
| Kentucky | $47,630 |
| Virginia | $46,190 |
| Maryland | $45,910 |
| New Hampshire | $45,410 |
| Iowa | $45,390 |
| Nebraska | $45,350 |
| Kansas | $45,160 |
| Missouri | $45,120 |
| North Carolina | $45,080 |
| Indiana | $44,730 |
| California | $44,420 |
| Ohio | $44,380 |
| Colorado | $44,090 |
| South Carolina | $43,920 |
| Alabama | $42,620 |
| Utah | $42,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,600 |
| Wisconsin | $39,950 |
| Minnesota | $38,650 |
| Arkansas | $38,560 |
| Oklahoma | $38,300 |
| Michigan | $37,550 |
| Louisiana | $37,140 |
| South Dakota | $36,810 |
| Connecticut | $36,200 |
| Arizona | $35,790 |
| Florida | $35,710 |
| Mississippi | $35,710 |
| Tennessee | $35,620 |
| Texas | $28,570 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for painting, coating, and decorating workers vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $55,252 | 14.0% | 0.96 |
| New England | $48,412 | 4.0% | 1.19 |
| Far Western US | $46,055 | 12.6% | 0.90 |
| Plains States | $43,632 | 8.4% | 1.32 |
| Rocky Mountains | $42,940 | 3.3% | 1.21 |
| Great Lakes | $42,510 | 12.1% | 1.36 |
| Southeast | $39,548 | 30.6% | 1.48 |
| Southwest | $29,447 | 14.9% | 1.45 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $78,620 | 440 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $61,270 | 70 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $56,120 | 60 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $54,500 | 70 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $52,860 | 100 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $52,170 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $50,620 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $50,590 | 60 |
Which Industries Hire Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
The largest employers of painting, coating, and decorating workers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,740 | $39,440 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 750 | $45,380 |
| Retail Trade | 370 | $47,050 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 330 | $44,930 |
| Wholesale Trade | 270 | $37,140 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 240 | $36,930 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 80 | $34,250 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 30 | $34,490 |
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for painting, coating, and decorating workers reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How to Become Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Most painting, coating, and decorating workers positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance (Primary-Short)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers (Primary-Long)
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Primary-Long)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Supplemental)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9123.00 (Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers).
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