How to become a structural steel or Ship painter
Official title: Structural steel/Ship painter
Also called: Ship hull and structural steel painter, Ship hull painter, Ship painter, Structural steel painter, Ship hull painter
Structural steel/Ship painter applies coatings of paint, red lead, bituminous emulsion and similar protective materials on bridges, ships’ hulls and metal superstructure, steel framework of buildings, storage tanks and other metal structures. He/she rigs up scaffolding, cradles, ladders and other equipment, and scrapes dirt, rust or scale from surface to be painted.
Main tasks
- Preparing surfaces to be coated using a variety of methods to remove grease, dirt and rust
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Marine & Offshore Engineering - Production (Repair & Maintenance). You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
- Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Marine & Offshore Engineering; Higher Nitec in Civil & Structural Engineering Design; Technical Engineer Diploma in Civil & Structural Engineering. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Environmental & Marine Science (Republic Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Motor vehicle spray painter
- Spray painter (excluding ships and motor vehicles)
- Building painter
- Wall/Ceiling paperhanger
- Building maintenance worker
- Building structure cleaner and related worker
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a structural steel or Ship painter?
Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.
Will AI change the work of a structural steel or Ship painter?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026