Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of painting, coating, and decorating workers to grow 1.3% from 2025 to 2035 (about 100 more jobs), with about 700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $41,600 a year ranks 710th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +1.3%
- Openings a year
- 700
- Median pay
- $41,600
- Pay rank
- 710th of 825
Is employment of painting, coating, and decorating workers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of painting, coating, and decorating workers to rise 1.3% (about 100 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the -0.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 105 production occupations with a projection. That change ranks 536th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 8,200 |
| Employment, 2035 | 8,300 |
| Projected change | +1.3% |
| Openings a year | 700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 8,200 jobs here differ from the 7,940 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 711th most of 830 occupations. About 99% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 10 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for painting, coating, and decorating workers rank?
The median of $41,600 a year ranks 710th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: no formal educational credential.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | +2.5% | 15,300 | $48,250 |
| Etchers and Engravers | -0.7% | 800 | $43,310 |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | +5.8% | 5,100 | $46,170 |
| Furniture Finishers | -3.5% | 1,500 | $44,540 |
| Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | -19.2% | 700 | $42,660 |
| Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | -18.9% | 500 | $38,020 |
| Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | +4.3% | 28,200 | $34,890 |
| Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | -6.9% | 400 | $35,650 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.