Occupation salary profile

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

SOC 51-9123 BLS OEWS May 2025

Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather. Excludes “Artists and Related Workers" (27-1010), “Designers” (27-1020), “Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators” (51-9151), and “Etchers and Engravers” (51-9194).

National median · BLS
$41,600
▲ +1.81% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$45,210
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
7,940
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$31,470
25th$37,030
Median (50th)$41,600
75th$50,360
90th — top pay$60,820

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Monthly—
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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

BLS projects employment of painting, coating, and decorating workers to grow 1.3% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
8,200 → 8,300
+100 jobs
Projected change
+1.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
3.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Coordination2.9
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Social Perceptiveness2.9
  • Critical Thinking2.8
  • Reading Comprehension2.8
  • Speaking2.8
  • Time Management2.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.5
  • Service Orientation2.4
Top knowledge areas
  • Production and Processing3.1
  • English Language3.0
  • Customer and Personal Service2.8
  • Education and Training2.5
  • Design2.4
  • Chemistry2.4
  • Administration and Management2.3
  • Public Safety and Security2.2
Software and technology used
Adobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopMicrosoft ExcelAdobe FreeHand MXCorel WordPerfect Office Suite

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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.

About the job

What painting, coating, and decorating workers do

  • 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.
  • Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
  • Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
  • Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.
  • Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.
Also called
DecoratorGlazerPainterPottery DecoratorDecalerGlass DecoratorIn Mold CoaterSilk-Screen OperatorSpray PainterSprayer
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Air Brush DecoratorAir Brush OperatorAirbrush PainterArt GilderAuto Body Painter (Automotive Body Painter)BabbitterBake Off DecoratorBakery DecoratorBalloon DipperBanner PainterBarrel CoaterBarrel LinerBattery Container Finishing HandBisque Ware DipperBlockerBottom PainterBowling Pin RefinisherBraze ApplicatorBrush HandBrush PainterBrusherBun IcerButton SpindlerCake DecoratorCarroterCeramic PainterChalkerChina DecoratorClip CoaterClock Hands DipperClock Hands PainterCoaterCoater OperatorCoating OperatorCoating TechnicianColorerCork PainterDecal ApplierDecal DecoratorDecal MakerDesign PainterDial MarkerDial PainterDial RefinisherDipperDrawer WaxerDrierDullerDusterDyerEdge StainerElectroless PlaterElectrostatic PainterEmbossed Lettering PainterEnamel ApplierEnamel FinisherEnamelerEnrobing Machine CorderFillerFilm CoaterFinisherFoam Gun OperatorFur BlenderFurniture StainerGilderGlass Bulb SilvererGlass Manufacturing DecoratorGlass TinterGlaze SprayerGold LettererHand BanderHand Candle DipperHand Candy DipperHand DecoratorHand Funnel CoaterHand PainterHand Sign WriterHand SprayerHand StriperHand Touch Up Painter

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.