Headline risk
14%
Low RiskPainting, coating, and decorating workers
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, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
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 40,860
Employment 2024
8.8K
Projected Change (2024–34)
1.4%
Openings (2024–34)
0.8K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of painting and coating workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes. AI use: 0%
- 2. Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas. AI use: 0%
- 3. Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags. AI use: 0%
- 4. Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required. AI use: 0%
- 5. Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers. AI use: 0%
- 6. Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.8 · 173K employed
Under 25: 19% · 25–54: 60% · 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
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Painting and coating workers apply finishes, often using machines, to a range of products.
Most painting and coating workers are employed full time. They frequently stand for long periods in specially ventilated areas.
Painting and coating workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. New workers usually train on the job for several months.
The median annual wage for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders was $47,590 in May 2024.
Overall employment of painting and coating workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
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.