Career profile · 47-2141
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.
What the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Chemistry
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Spend Time Sitting | Never | 96.1%08/2025 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 96.8%08/2025 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 65.4%08/2025 · sample 20 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 34.8%08/2025 · sample 20 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: Evergreen Technology Total Faux
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Act!
- Data base user interface and query software: Insight Direct ServiceCEO
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Corel Paint Shop Pro, Corel Painter
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Project management software: Evergreen Technology Eagle Bid Estimating, On Center Quick Bid, Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for painters, construction and maintenance
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,930 | $21.12 | 1,570 |
| Alaska | $60,980 | $29.32 | 440 |
| Arizona | $48,250 | $23.20 | 5,210 |
| Arkansas | $40,090 | $19.28 | 890 |
| California | $59,020 | $28.38 | 38,430 |
| Colorado | $52,970 | $25.47 | 3,480 |
| Connecticut | $58,480 | $28.12 | 2,230 |
| Delaware | $58,530 | $28.14 | 480 |
| District of Columbia | $59,520 | $28.61 | 500 |
| Florida | $47,530 | $22.85 | 22,450 |
| Georgia | $48,340 | $23.24 | 2,760 |
| Hawaii | $68,220 | $32.80 | 1,900 |
| Idaho | $44,880 | $21.58 | 2,040 |
| Illinois | $61,260 | $29.45 | 6,820 |
| Indiana | $50,260 | $24.16 | 3,510 |
| Iowa | $49,710 | $23.90 | 1,770 |
| Kansas | $45,510 | $21.88 | 1,570 |
| Kentucky | $48,110 | $23.13 | 1,390 |
| Louisiana | $46,410 | $22.31 | 4,090 |
| Maine | $59,270 | $28.50 | 2,120 |
| Maryland | $49,120 | $23.62 | 3,750 |
| Massachusetts | $57,510 | $27.65 | 4,430 |
| Michigan | $50,650 | $24.35 | 4,920 |
| Minnesota | $57,270 | $27.54 | 3,810 |
| Mississippi | $44,800 | $21.54 | 1,060 |
| Missouri | $57,510 | $27.65 | 3,980 |
| Montana | $58,290 | $28.03 | 920 |
| Nebraska | $47,280 | $22.73 | 1,590 |
| Nevada | $56,390 | $27.11 | 4,120 |
| New Hampshire | $49,670 | $23.88 | 910 |
| New Jersey | $59,250 | $28.49 | 4,110 |
| New Mexico | $46,240 | $22.23 | 1,010 |
| New York | $59,570 | $28.64 | 13,040 |
| North Carolina | $44,110 | $21.21 | 5,220 |
| North Dakota | $54,870 | $26.38 | 420 |
| Ohio | $49,450 | $23.77 | 5,600 |
| Oklahoma | $44,900 | $21.59 | 1,880 |
| Oregon | $48,900 | $23.51 | 5,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,120 | $25.06 | 5,980 |
| Rhode Island | $41,590 | $20.00 | 1,160 |
| South Carolina | $40,840 | $19.64 | 2,080 |
| South Dakota | $48,160 | $23.15 | 670 |
| Tennessee | $43,230 | $20.78 | 3,040 |
| Texas | $45,460 | $21.86 | 18,330 |
| Utah | $46,050 | $22.14 | 3,510 |
| Vermont | $53,120 | $25.54 | 550 |
| Virginia | $47,470 | $22.82 | 5,930 |
| Washington | $59,650 | $28.68 | 9,510 |
| West Virginia | $44,230 | $21.26 | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $50,090 | $24.08 | 3,350 |
| Wyoming | $47,220 | $22.70 | 480 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 487 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers→
- Paperhangers→
- Solar Energy Installation Managers→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-2141.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.