Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Explore safer careers (5)
Lower estimated automation risk
Why it fits
Experienced workers can move into crew scheduling, quality control, safety, and production supervision.
Why it fits
Paint, solvents, coatings, mixing, and quality testing experience can support lab or process technician work.
Why it fits
Coating knowledge and surface preparation transfer to building maintenance painting with jobsite adaptation.
Why it fits
Decorative finishing, furniture familiarity, hand tools, and visual quality judgment overlap for some workers.
Why it fits
Color matching, surface prep, finishing materials, and decorative detail work are highly reusable.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
We rate jobs using four factors. These are:
- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions
These are some key things to think about when job hunting.
Risk & user votes
Calculated automation risk
High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.
More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.
Human strengths important in this job
These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.
Decision-making and problem solving
Quite importantWhy this matters
What users think
Based on 70 votes
Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 67% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
View sentiment trend
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers was $40,860 ($20 per hour).
The median annual wage for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers was 17.5% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers' job openings is expected to rise 1.4% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 8,470 people employed as 'Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers' within the United States.
This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 18 thousand people are employed as 'Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers'.
People also viewed
Job description
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
O*NET-SOC code: 51-9123.00
What people are saying (0)
Reply to comment