How to become a Painter

Official title: Painter (Visual Arts)

Conceives and creates visual art forms such as pictures, abstract designs and similar compositions, to communicate impressions and ideas.

Main tasks

• Generates ideas, develops concepts, and considers the desired composition, style and colour palette for their visual art forms
• Selects appropriate mediums, such as oil or acrylic paints, inks, pencils, charcoal, pastels or watercolours
• Prepares materials, such as choosing brushes, priming canvases, walls, wood or other surfaces, and sets up the workspace
• Applies selected mediums to canvas or other surfaces using different techniques and implements to achieve the desired visual expression
• Exhibits their visual artwork in art galleries, museums or other exhibition spaces
• Sells their visual art forms directly to collectors, art enthusiasts or through online platforms or art markets
• May use virtual canvases, paint brushes and palettes to create digital visual art forms

Ways in

• University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 38 universities in Australia
• TAFE and VET: Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Development (CUA60420); Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts (CUA60720); Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts (CUA30520); Certificate III in Visual Arts (CUA31120); Certificate II in Visual Arts (CUA20720); Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts (CUA40620); Certificate IV in Visual Arts (CUA41320); Diploma of Visual Arts (CUA51120)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $108,212 a year
• About 12,300 people work in this job group now, and about 13,700 are projected by 2035. (+11.8%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Related jobs

• Sculptor
• Potter or Ceramic Artist
• Film and Video Editor
• Actor
• Circus Performer or Trainer
• Content Creator (Social Media)

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Painter?

Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Development; Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts.

How much does a Painter earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $108,212 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Painter a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 12,300 to about 13,700 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Painter?

Not always. 47% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Development; Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts.

Will AI change the work of a Painter?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04