Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9123

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Median pay sits 44% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Power Plant Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers: Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9123 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes
  2. 2. Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas
  3. 3. Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers
  4. 4. Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes
  5. 5. Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags
  6. 6. Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required
  7. 7. Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth
  8. 8. Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty
  9. 9. Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9123 - lead skill Active Listening at 2.9 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 2.9
  2. 2. Monitoring 2.9
  3. 3. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  4. 4. Coordination 2.9
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 2.8
  6. 6. Speaking 2.8
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 2.8
  8. 8. Time Management 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.1
  2. 2. English Language 3.0
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 2.8
  4. 4. Education and Training 2.5
  5. 5. Design 2.4
  6. 6. Chemistry 2.4
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-44%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $41,600/yr
$42K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
800
Annual openings
7,940
Estimated US jobs
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Highest-pay peer · $107K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

1. Wisconsin $48,330
2. Washington $61,210
3. Colorado $54,070
4. Nevada $60,190
5. New Jersey $52,160
6. Connecticut $50,720
7. Ohio $49,080
8. New York $48,510
9. Missouri $48,560
10. Massachusetts $54,070

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  2. 2. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  4. 4. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  5. 5. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  6. 6. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers sits 44% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $41,600.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Wisconsin at $48,330. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $106,730. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers pay-rank #82 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers lands at #82, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers pays 44% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9123

Wisconsin · top state for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

$48K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$61K · behind Wisconsin

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Highest-pay peer vs Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · $107K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · $62K

Compare Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Against another occupation

Power Distributors and Dispatchers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers is pay-rank #82 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders ($42K), Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers ($42K), Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders ($41K), Food Batchmakers ($42K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do painting, coating, and decorating workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. Leading ones include: 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; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for painting, coating, and decorating workers? ▼
For SOC 51-9123, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (2.9), Monitoring (2.9), Social Perceptiveness (2.9), Coordination (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, English Language, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $41,600 as the national median for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $31,470 to $60,820. Beside Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($106,730), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers? ▼
Wisconsin ($48,330), Washington ($61,210), Colorado ($54,070) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9123. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics