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Painting & Wall Covering

Types of Degrees Painting & Wall Covering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Painting & Wall Covering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	12
Associate’s Degree	11
Master’s Degree	5

What Painting & Wall Covering Majors Need to Know

Studies in Painting & Wall Covering build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Painting & Wall Covering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Painting & Wall Covering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Painting & Wall Covering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Painting & Wall Covering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Painting & Wall Covering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Performing General Physical Activities	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Getting Information	3.8 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	3.7 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Painting & Wall Covering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
On Center Quick Bid	Project management software	—
Corel Painter	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Painting & Wall Covering graduates include:

• Caulker
• Colored Liquid Plastic Applier
• Journeyman Painter
• Industrial Painter
• Construction Painter
• Maintenance Painter
• Exterior Painter
• Parking Line Painter
• Architectural Coating Finisher
• Traffic Line Painter
• Stage Setting Painter
• Pavement Striper
• Painter
• Shipyard Painter
• Professional Painter

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Painting & Wall Covering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	43.5%
Less than a high school diploma	20.3%
Postsecondary certificate	18.1%
Some college courses	8.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.9%
Bachelor’s degree	4.0%
Post-doctoral training	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Painting & Wall Covering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 78.6% of Painting & Wall Covering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6	21.4%
Men	22	78.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Painting & Wall Covering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	17	60.7%
Hispanic or Latino	5	17.9%
Black or African American	1	3.6%
Race Unknown	5	17.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Painting & Wall Covering Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Painting & Wall Covering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,822
4 years	$32,489
5 years	$37,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $37,102 — roughly 10% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Painting & Wall Covering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Painting & Wall Covering graduates earn a median of $32,489 four years after completion — about 15% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	46.04
Building Construction Technology/Technician	46.0415
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	46.0499
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	46.0412
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	46.0403
Building/Property Maintenance	46.0401
Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker	46.0413
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	46.0402
Drywall Installation/Drywaller	46.0404
Glazier	46.0406
Insulator	46.0414
Metal Building Assembly/Assembler	46.0411

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.