How to become a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker

Official title: Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Also called: Decaler, Decorator, Glass Decorator, Glazer, In Mold Coater, Painter, Pottery Decorator, Silk-Screen Operator, Spray Painter, Sprayer

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

Main tasks

• Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
• Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
• Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
• Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.

How to become one

Painting and coating workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. New workers usually train on the job for several months.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Decorator (Glass Mfg).
• Apprenticeship: Liner (Pottery & Porc).
• Apprenticeship: Painter, Hand (Any Ind).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $41,600 a year The middle half earn $37,030 to $50,360.
• About 8,200 people work in this job now, and about 8,300 are projected by 2035. (+1.3%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker?

Painting and coating workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. New workers usually train on the job for several months.

How much does a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $41,600 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,030 to $50,360.

Is a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 8,200 people now and 8,300 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Decorator (Glass Mfg).

Will AI change the work of a Painting, Coating, and Decorating Worker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.