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Skilled Trades

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

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

Median salary (BLS)

$41,600

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$31k – $61k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

    Entry / Junior

    $31,470

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

    Established

    $41,600

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

    Senior

    $51,210

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.