A painter applies paint, stain, and protective coatings to buildings, structures, and surfaces. It is hands-on, in demand, and you can start without a four-year degree. Here is what the work involves, what it takes, and how to get in.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
Painters prepare surfaces by cleaning, sanding, and filling cracks or holes. They mix paints and stains to match colors and specifications. They apply coatings using brushes, rollers, or spray equipment, working on interior walls, exterior siding, trim, and structural elements. They inspect surfaces and materials to ensure quality and identify any issues before starting. They plan their work, organize materials, and make decisions about techniques and timing based on weather, surface type, and project requirements.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Painters, Construction and Maintenance earn a median of $49,400 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is steady. Employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as average for all occupations, with about 28,100 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
Most painters start with a high school diploma or equivalent and learn through on-the-job training. You will typically begin as a helper or apprentice, working alongside experienced painters to learn techniques, safety practices, and how to use tools and equipment. Training covers surface preparation, paint application methods, color mixing, and safety protocols. Some painters pursue formal apprenticeship programs that combine classroom instruction with paid work experience. The path usually takes several years to develop full competency.
Most painters enter through apprenticeships or on-the-job training, so your first step is exploring both routes. Use Pathly can map the painter, construction and maintenance path that fits you to map out a timeline that fits your situation, and work with your counselor to find the right starting point.
You do not need a license to work as a painter, construction and maintenance, but professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
You are drawn to hands-on work, solving practical problems, and seeing tangible results. You work well with tools and materials and prefer learning by doing.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
Get a personalized, step-by-step plan to reach this career, with the training, coursework, and credentials tracked in one place. Link your school or IEC and your counselor in the loop.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).