Careers / Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$41,600
United States, 2025
Employment
7,940
United States, 2025
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
- O*NET code
- 51-9123.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical 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.
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$31,470
25th percentile
$37,030
75th percentile
$50,360
90th percentile
$60,820
Most important skills
- Coordination2.9
- Active Listening2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Speaking2.8
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Time Management2.6
- Judgment and Decision Making2.5
- Service Orientation2.4
- Writing2.3
- Management of Personnel Resources2.1
What skills do you need?
No skill ratings are recorded for this occupation in the current O*NET release.
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Compare with Painting, Coating, and Decorating WorkersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $72,610 | 180 | 2025 |
| WA | $61,210 | 90 | 2025 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $60,190 | — | 2025 |
| NV | $60,190 | — | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $59,170 | 70 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $57,360 | 70 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $57,000 | 70 | 2025 |
| MA | $54,070 | 210 | 2025 |
| CO | $54,070 | 170 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $53,290 | 60 | 2025 |
| NJ | $52,160 | 90 | 2025 |
| CT | $50,720 | 50 | 2025 |
| Kansas City, MO | $50,160 | 50 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $49,750 | 60 | 2025 |
| Elkhart, IN | $49,610 | 60 | 2025 |
| St. Louis, MO | $49,440 | 50 | 2025 |
| OH | $49,080 | 230 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $48,850 | 30 | 2025 |
| Richmond, VA | $48,570 | 50 | 2025 |
| MO | $48,560 | 140 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.