Headline risk
2%
Very Low RiskPainters, construction and maintenance
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 48,660
Employment 2024
342.2K
Projected Change (2024–34)
3.8%
Openings (2024–34)
28.1K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of painters, construction and maintenance is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting. AI use: 0%
- 2. Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives. AI use: 0%
- 3. Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements. AI use: 0%
- 4. Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines. AI use: 0%
- 5. Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level. AI use: 0%
- 6. Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.4 · 15M employed
Under 25: 13% · 25–54: 66% · 55+: 21%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, large machinery and equipment, and bridges and other structures.
Painters work indoors and outdoors. Painting is physically demanding and requires a lot of bending, kneeling, reaching, and climbing. Those who paint bridges or buildings may work at extreme heights or in uncomfortable positions.
Painters typically learn their trade on the job. No formal education is typically required to enter the occupation.
The median annual wage for painters, construction and maintenance was $48,660 in May 2024.
Employment of painters, construction and maintenance is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.