Painters, Construction and Maintenance
Also called: Building Trades Painter, Industrial Painter, Maintenance Painter, PainterPaint 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 1 of its 17 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 6.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Painters and paperhangers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 83% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,930 | $37,440 to $50,410 | 1,570 |
| Alaska | $60,980 | $54,710 to $74,570 | 440 |
| Arizona | $48,250 | $45,370 to $58,560 | 5,210 |
| Arkansas | $40,090 | $36,940 to $47,520 | 890 |
| California | $59,020 | $47,520 to $73,040 | 38,430 |
| Colorado | $52,970 | $47,210 to $59,650 | 3,480 |
| Connecticut | $58,480 | $47,630 to $76,420 | 2,230 |
| Delaware | $58,530 | $50,680 to $61,700 | 480 |
| District of Columbia | $59,520 | $47,360 to $69,390 | 500 |
| Florida | $47,530 | $39,940 to $50,130 | 22,450 |
| Georgia | $48,340 | $42,130 to $57,670 | 2,760 |
| Guam | $32,960 | $31,720 to $36,820 | 330 |
| Hawaii | $68,220 | $59,480 to $85,280 | 1,900 |
| Idaho | $44,880 | $36,880 to $47,890 | 2,040 |
| Illinois | $61,260 | $47,990 to $93,220 | 6,820 |
| Indiana | $50,260 | $43,180 to $62,450 | 3,510 |
| Iowa | $49,710 | $43,050 to $61,450 | 1,770 |
| Kansas | $45,510 | $37,180 to $49,350 | 1,570 |
| Kentucky | $48,110 | $40,210 to $59,740 | 1,390 |
| Louisiana | $46,410 | $38,970 to $50,460 | 4,090 |
| Maine | $59,270 | $50,170 to $63,120 | 2,120 |
| Maryland | $49,120 | $46,520 to $59,290 | 3,750 |
| Massachusetts | $57,510 | $46,830 to $70,050 | 4,430 |
| Michigan | $50,650 | $45,300 to $62,950 | 4,920 |
| Minnesota | $57,270 | $43,600 to $69,340 | 3,810 |
| Mississippi | $44,800 | $36,920 to $53,340 | 1,060 |
| Missouri | $57,510 | $46,350 to $68,510 | 3,980 |
| Montana | $58,290 | $47,390 to $61,810 | 920 |
| Nebraska | $47,280 | $37,840 to $51,220 | 1,590 |
| Nevada | $56,390 | $46,950 to $63,390 | 4,120 |
| New Hampshire | $49,670 | $46,580 to $57,880 | 910 |
| New Jersey | $59,250 | $45,490 to $72,380 | 4,110 |
| New Mexico | $46,240 | $40,530 to $50,320 | 1,010 |
| New York | $59,570 | $48,820 to $79,320 | 13,040 |
| North Carolina | $44,110 | $37,090 to $49,150 | 5,220 |
| North Dakota | $54,870 | $47,320 to $60,650 | 420 |
| Ohio | $49,450 | $44,040 to $61,790 | 5,600 |
| Oklahoma | $44,900 | $36,680 to $51,640 | 1,880 |
| Oregon | $48,900 | $45,950 to $61,580 | 5,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,120 | $47,600 to $61,000 | 5,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,070 | $23,020 to $31,020 | 600 |
| Rhode Island | $41,590 | $37,230 to $56,060 | 1,160 |
| South Carolina | $40,840 | $36,000 to $48,550 | 2,080 |
| South Dakota | $48,160 | $41,430 to $51,440 | 670 |
| Tennessee | $43,230 | $37,350 to $47,900 | 3,040 |
| Texas | $45,460 | $39,070 to $49,390 | 18,330 |
| Utah | $46,050 | $38,100 to $53,840 | 3,510 |
| Vermont | $53,120 | $48,710 to $60,260 | 550 |
| Virgin Islands | $42,520 | $31,660 to $47,440 | 40 |
| Virginia | $47,470 | $39,300 to $56,220 | 5,930 |
| Washington | $59,650 | $48,940 to $65,140 | 9,510 |
| West Virginia | $44,230 | $32,760 to $54,310 | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $50,090 | $46,640 to $60,100 | 3,350 |
| Wyoming | $47,220 | $38,380 to $55,240 | 480 |
Nationally: $49,400. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 1 of its 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting. | Not published |
| Not much | Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives. | Not published |
| Not much | Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers. | Not published |
See all 17 tasks
| Not much | Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats. | Not published |
| Not much | Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove old finishes by stripping, sanding, wire brushing, burning, or using water or abrasive blasting. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove fixtures such as pictures, door knobs, lamps, or electric switch covers prior to painting. | Not published |
| AI + software | Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders. | Not published |
| Not much | Use special finishing techniques such as sponging, ragging, layering, or faux finishing. | Not published |
| Not much | Mix and match colors of paint, stain, or varnish with oil or thinning and drying additives to obtain desired colors and consistencies. | Not published |
| Not much | Waterproof buildings, using waterproofers or caulking. | Not published |
| Not much | Select and purchase tools or finishes for surfaces to be covered, considering durability, ease of handling, methods of application, and customers' wishes. | Not published |
| Not much | Polish final coats to specified finishes. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut stencils and brush or spray lettering or decorations on surfaces. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 17 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 17 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply decorative finishes | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Set up protective structures or coverings near work areas | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 15 activities
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Determine resource needs of projects or operations | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Math or a calculation32%
- Data or a spreadsheet17%
- A document or report12%
- A chart or visualization11%
- Advice or a recommendation8%
How they worked with Claude
44% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for painters, construction and maintenance specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 14,714 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
- 4 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Low +2.2% 3%
- 5 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 12,702 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 2 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Low +2.2% 5%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 2% post-doctoral training
- 98% not published
O*NET marks 98% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 18 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 33% less than high school
- 40% high school
- 14% some college
- 5% associate's
- 7% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Painters and paperhangers” · 4,528 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Painters and paperhangers”
1 program: Painting/Painter and Wall Coverer.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 7 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Painters, Construction and Maintenance” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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