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Career

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $41,600 Median per year · $20.00/hr Most earn $31,470–$60,820

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
  • Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
  • Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
  • Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces.
  • Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
  • Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing6.2%
  • Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing5.4%
  • Coating, engraving, heat treating, and allied activities4.3%
  • Furniture and related product manufacturing4.0%
  • Plastics product manufacturing3.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: Up to 1 month

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: Up to 1 monthEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and learn the work on the job, usually in a month or less, so you can often begin soon after graduating.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school and take art, shop, and science classes. These build hand skills and an understanding of materials, which are the usual starting point for this work.

  2. Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker

    Up to 1 month of on-the-job training

    Learn to prepare surfaces, mix paints and coatings, apply finishes by brush, roller, or spray, and check the results on items like furniture, pottery, glass, or toys.

Where it can lead

  1. Furniture Finisher

    1-2 years of experience first

    You move into more skilled finishing work on furniture, including staining, sealing, and repairing wood surfaces, which takes more hands-on experience and attention to detail.

  2. Painter

    1-2 years of experience first

    Painters who work on buildings and structures usually have more experience with surface prep, working on job sites, and reading project plans, and they often work more independently.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take art and design classesCourses like drawing, painting, or ceramics build color sense and finishing skills that carry directly into decorating and coating work.
  • Take shop or industrial arts classesWoodworking, metal, or materials classes teach you how to prepare surfaces and use tools safely.
  • Get a part-time job at a hardware or paint storeYou will learn about paint types, finishes, and customer needs, and you may get early experience with supplies.
  • Volunteer on a community mural or school set-building crewHelping paint real projects gives you practice with brushes, sprayers, and teamwork under supervision.
  • Take a basic chemistry classUnderstanding how paints, solvents, and coatings react helps you mix products correctly and work safely.

In college

  • Take art, design, or materials coursesCourses in color theory, finishing techniques, or materials science give you knowledge that employers look for in decorating and coating roles.
  • Work on a scene shop or stage crewCampus theater crews often paint sets, apply finishes, and use spray equipment, which is strong hands-on experience for this career.
  • Take a workplace safety courseLearning how to handle chemicals, ventilation, and protective equipment makes you a safer and more attractive hire.
  • Seek a summer job or internship at a furniture refinisher, sign shop, or manufacturerWorking in a production finishing setting shows you how coatings are applied at scale and builds practical skills.
  • Build a portfolio of finished projectsPhotos of your work with notes on the materials and methods you used help you stand out when applying for jobs.

Tips for getting started

  • Build a small portfolio of painted, stained, or decorated projects from school, home, or community work. Employers often care more about what you can show than your grades.
  • Look for part-time work at a hardware store, paint shop, furniture refinisher, or craft business. Hands-on exposure to real materials helps you get hired quickly.
  • Learn basic workplace safety early, including how to handle paints and solvents safely and when to wear protective gear. Safety knowledge is valued in every coating job.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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