Skilled Trades & Construction career

Painter

Also called: House Painter · Commercial Painter · Maintenance Painter · Painting Contractor

What painters do, what they earn, how long training takes and how to get started, with official BLS pay data and practical, job-level detail.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
What does a painter do?

Construction and maintenance painters prepare surfaces and apply paint, stains and coatings to homes, offices, industrial structures and bridges. The median pay is $49,400 per year (BLS, May 2025), most people train for about 1–6 months on the job, and employment is projected to grow +3.0% from 2025–35.

Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026

  • Median pay
    $49,400
    $23.75/hour · May 2025
  • Job growth
    +3.0%
    2025–35, about as fast as average
  • Openings per year
    24,900
    Average, 2025–35
  • Typical entry education
    No formal educational credential
    BLS classification
  • Time to train
    1–6 months on the job
    Typical program length
  • U.S. jobs
    326,900
    Employment, 2025

What painters do

Painters do much more than roll paint on walls. Most of the job is preparation: protecting floors and furniture, washing, scraping, sanding, patching, caulking and priming. Then they cut in edges, roll and spray coatings, and finish trim and doors. Industrial painters apply protective coatings to steel, tanks and bridges, often with specialized equipment.

Most painters learn on the job, and some complete union or contractor apprenticeships. Because many older buildings contain lead paint, painters working on homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 need EPA lead-safe certification. Skilled painters can run crews or start their own painting businesses.

Typical duties

  • Protect floors, furniture and fixtures before work starts
  • Wash, scrape, sand and patch surfaces
  • Caulk gaps and apply primer
  • Apply paint and coatings with brushes, rollers and sprayers
  • Mix and match colors and finishes
  • Set up ladders, scaffolds and lifts safely
  • Clean equipment and the work area

Work environment and schedule

Painters work indoors and outdoors in homes, offices, schools, factories and on bridges and tanks. The work involves standing, climbing ladders and scaffolds, bending and repetitive arm movement. Ventilation and respiratory protection matter with some coatings.

Schedule: Most painters work full-time during the day. Commercial work in occupied buildings may happen nights and weekends, and exterior work slows in cold or wet weather.

A day in the life

  1. Arrive at a home remodel, walk the rooms with the foreman and lay drop cloths.
  2. Move furniture, remove switch plates and mask trim and windows.
  3. Patch nail holes and cracks, then sand and wipe the walls.
  4. Spot-prime patches and cut in ceilings and corners.

See a full day in the life of a painter →

Painter salary

Half of painters earned more than $49,400 and half earned less in May 2025. Pay ranged from about $37,440 for the lowest 10% to $78,810 for the top 10%.

Full painter pay scale and hourly rates →

How to become a painter

  1. Start as a helper
  2. Learn the fundamentals
  3. Get certified
  4. Consider an apprenticeship
  5. Grow your business or career

No formal education is required. Most painters train on the job, often starting as helpers. Union and contractor apprenticeships last two to four years and teach surface prep, coatings, safety and specialty finishes.

Step-by-step guide to becoming a painter →

Skills and tools

Technical skills

  • Surface preparation
  • Brush, roller and spray application
  • Color matching and finishes
  • Caulking and drywall patching
  • Lead-safe work practices

People skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Patience
  • Customer courtesy
  • Reliability

All painter skills and tools →

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Easy to start with little experience
  • Work in many settings, indoors and out
  • Low startup costs for your own business
  • Satisfying, visible results

Cons

  • Repetitive motion and ladder work
  • Exposure to dust, fumes and lead in older buildings
  • Seasonal slowdowns for exterior work
  • Pay varies widely by employer and region

Certifications and licenses

  • EPA RRP Certified Renovator: Required for paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978.
  • OSHA 10-Hour Construction: Basic job site safety training.
  • Scaffold and aerial lift training: Training for safe use of scaffolds and lifts.
  • SSPC/AMPP coatings certifications: Credentials for industrial and protective coatings work.

Career path

  1. Painter’s Helper: Prep surfaces, mask and clean up.
  2. Journeyman Painter: Handle full rooms and exteriors independently.
  3. Lead Painter or Foreman: Run crews and specialty finishes or industrial coatings.
  4. Estimator or Painting Contractor: Bid jobs or run your own painting business.

Learn the job before day one

Our Painter training (6 hours, $59.99) covers the role, 15+ key terms, step-by-step procedures such as prep and paint an interior room and use an airless paint sprayer, safety and how to land your first job.

View Painter trainingIs this career right for me?

Drywall Installer

Hang and finish the walls and ceilings inside homes, offices and commercial buildings.

  • $58,930
  • 3–12 months on the job

Carpenter

Build and repair frameworks, structures and finish work from wood and other materials.

  • $60,580
  • 3–4 years (apprenticeship)

Construction Laborer

Prepare sites, move materials, pour concrete and support every trade on the job.

  • $47,120
  • Days to weeks (on the job)

Compare: Painter vs. Drywall Installer · Painter vs. Carpenter · Painter vs. Construction Laborer · Painter vs. Building Maintenance Tech

Painter FAQ

Do painters need a license?

Individual painters usually don’t, but painting contractors need a license in some states, and lead-safe certification is required for many jobs on older homes.

How long does it take to become a painter?

You can start as a helper right away. Becoming skilled takes several months to a few years, and apprenticeships last two to four years.

Is painting a good business to start?

It has low startup costs and steady demand, but success depends on estimating, scheduling and customer service.

How much does a painter make?

The median annual wage for painters was $49,400 ($23.75 per hour) in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10% earned less than $37,440 and the highest 10% earned more than $78,810.

How long does it take to become a painter?

Most people need about 1–6 months on the job of training. No formal education is required. Most painters train on the job, often starting as helpers. Union and contractor apprenticeships last two to four years and teach surface prep, coatings, safety and specialty finishes.

Do you need a degree to be a painter?

No four-year degree is typically required. BLS lists “no formal educational credential” as the typical entry-level education, plus moderate-term on-the-job training.

More painter questions →

Sources

Reviewed by the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team. Pay figures are national estimates; local pay varies. See our editorial policy.

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