Production
Painting, coating, and decorating workers
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
Median pay
$41,600
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
700
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Painting, coating, and decorating workers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to painting, coating, and decorating workers
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Painting, coating, and decorating workers: 5% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Decaler · Decorator · Glass Decorator · Glazer · In Mold Coater · Painter · Pottery Decorator · Silk-Screen Operator
Outlook and AI
Painting, coating, and decorating workers held 8,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 8,300 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Etchers and engravers
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Furniture finisher
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Grinding and polishing workers, hand
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Cutters and trimmers, hand
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Shoe machine operators and tenders
- Painting, coating, and decorating workers vs. Foundry mold and coremakers