Painters generally work for construction companies, contractors, and maintenance repair services. They review paint samples and combine colors to achieve the desired shade. Their job may also be to clean the room by covering furniture, floors, and moldings before painting. They may also be responsible for assembling scaffolding, repairing holes in drywall, and touching up old paint jobs.
What can painters do?
As a rule, painters protect, prepare and paint both interior and exterior surfaces of residential and commercial properties.
Look at the essential responsibilities of a painter, which typically include the following:
- Protect all nearby furnishings and building materials before and during each paint job, including flooring, cabinets, outlet covers, light fixtures, and landscaping.
- Preparing surfaces for painting by cleaning, patching holes, removing chipped or cracked paint, and sealing areas with tape as needed.
- Matching paint samples for touch-ups and other small projects.
- Mixing and applying paint and other finishing materials to various surfaces.
- Practice self-monitoring small tasks and ensure that projects are completed efficiently and on time.
- Collaborate with other professional painters on larger jobs.
- Work with other construction professionals such as carpenters, electricians, and plumbers to prepare units for lease.
- Communicate with property owners and managers to discuss color and finish options with other design details.
- Choosing and purchasing paints, brushes, and other supplies from vendors.
- Cleaning materials and returning fixtures after completing the project.
All specific responsibilities for painters will depend on the industry and their work scope.
Skills of painters
Painters need particular hard and soft skills to succeed in their position. However, there are some of the most common skills required for painters:
- Communication skills involve communicating verbally and non-verbally with active listening, observing, speaking, and empathizing. Painters must have good communication skills to understand the client’s expectations and make necessary suggestions.
- Having strong attention to detail. Painters must be detail-oriented to ensure they correctly complete their projects without leaving behind errors in their work. A great paint job results in fine details, such as clean and crisp edges and a smooth finish.
- Time-management skills involve balancing and prioritizing projects in a manner that helps you complete work on time while maintaining a work-life balance. Painters often spend much of their workday alone and without direct supervision. Therefore, painters must work efficiently to complete the project on time without close supervision.
- Technical skills involve the industry-specific skills and knowledge needed correctly complete the job. Painters must be familiar with the tools and materials required to complete their job duties. They also need to understand the technical aspects of protecting, preparing thoroughly, and painting interior and exterior surfaces in residential and commercial settings.
- Physical skill, strength, balance, and stamina. Painting is a physically demanding job that requires climbing ladders, carrying heavy equipment and tools, working in uncomfortable positions, and standing for long periods. Therefore, painters should have good physical agility, strength, balance, and stamina to perform their job responsibilities properly and ensure their safety while on the job.
What do professional painters do?
At the basic level, painters apply paint to commercial and residential structures. But they also help clients pick the best shade, including color and finish, by taking into consideration:
- The client’s desires
- Handling ease
- The durability of the product
- Application method
Painter work environment
Painters can work indoors and outdoors. Some painters work on residential homes and buildings, while others work on commercial and industrial buildings. Painting requires extensive standing, climbing, bending, kneeling, and reaching. A painter’s work environment may include exposure to extreme heights, weather conditions, and uncomfortable positions.
Here is a list of high-paying painter jobs.
You can choose any of them.
Lead Painter salaries range between $36,500 and $49,500 annually.
Paint Technician salaries currently range between $32,500 and $42,500 annually.
House Painters are responsible for painting a home’s interior or exterior walls. Salary range: $30,000 – $41,500 per year. As a rule, house painters take great care to ensure that they do not damage any existing furniture or flooring by placing protective covers over essential items in the house.
Interior Painters’ salaries range between $31,500 and $41,500 annually.
Paint Specialist salaries currently range: $29,000 – $41,500 annually.
Finish Painter salaries currently range: $32,500 – $41,500 annually.
Paint Prepper’s salary range between $27,000 and $36,000 per year. Paint preppers prepare a vehicle body or other surface for painting. Paint preparers’ responsibilities include removing dirt from the surface and parts before painting. Paint preppers may sand, polish, retouch, buff, degrease, or clean the cover. They may mix colors, blend paints, and load paint into spray-painting equipment. Paint preppers may sometimes need to apply primer to the surface to prepare and protect it until the painters perform their job.
Painter Apprentice’s salary can range between $28,500 and $35,500 per year. The duties of a painter apprentice are to learn and perform painting techniques and other essential tasks under the leadership of an experienced painter. It is usually their responsibility to prepare, such as masking, sanding, and laying sheets, and then apply paint under the direction of a supervisor. Other duties include caulking, finishing, and touch-up work.
Painter Helper’s salary range: $27,000 – $35,500 per year.
A painter helper assists painters, stucco masons, and plasterers with various tasks to help complete a project quickly and efficiently. Typical duties of a painting assistant include applying plaster, removing old paint, and preparing the work area. Painter helpers may also pour chemical solutions into stripping tanks and use power tools to clear surfaces before painting or plastering them. To become a painter helper is only needed relevant work experience, such as on-the-job training under the supervision of a more experienced painter. Additional qualifications include mechanical skills to use power tools like buffers and sanders, attention to detail for mixing and matching paint colors, and the ability to execute written and oral instructions.
Metal Painter salary can range: $26,000-$35,000 per year.
Painter Assistant salaries currently range between $25,000 and $34,500 annually.
All these positions’ moderate salary range suggests pay in this position will be consistent, regardless of skill level, location, and years of experience, though some advancement is possible.
What are the experience requirements for a painter?
Experience requirements vary depending on how much time companies can invest in training their painters in painting techniques, preparing surfaces, and mixing and matching colors. Painters with at least two years of experience will require minimal training.
If your painting job requires using harnesses or scaffolding, you may need applicants to be familiar with the necessary safety protocols.
What personality makes a good painter?
Personality is as important a quality as your training and physical abilities. You will represent your company and work with others daily.
That makes certain personality traits important, such as:
- Good personal hygiene
- Dealing with demanding customers professionally and respectfully
- Proper behavior and attitude on job sites
- Teamwork
- Interpreting instructions well
- Dependability
- Time management
So, whether you are getting started or looking to start something new, there are several ways to get involved in painting as a career: starting your own business, doing a gig and contractor work, purchasing a franchise, or joining a platform that feeds you leads or jobs.
