Trade Career Comparison

Which trade career fits you best?

Painter (Construction)

Apply paint, stain, coatings, and wallcoverings to buildings and structures.

$46,080/yr median

$30,260$66,350

Little/No ChangeModerateUnion: LowEntry: Low

Training Path

OJT or apprenticeship (1-3 years)

Environment

Indoor/Outdoor

Outlook

Little/No Change (+1%)

BLS Code

47-2141

Pros

✓Among the easiest trades to enter — minimal tools, minimal training, and you can start earning money almost immediately.
✓Low physical barrier to entry compared to heavy trades — painting is demanding but does not require extreme strength or comfort with heights (for most residential work).
✓Steady work in both new construction and repaint/maintenance markets — paint does not last forever, so the work keeps coming.
✓Self-employment is very achievable with relatively low startup costs — a truck, ladders, brushes, and rollers can get you started.
✓Skills transfer directly to personal projects — painting your own home, helping friends and family, or doing side work.

Cons

✗Among the lowest-paying construction trades, especially for non-union residential painters.
✗Exposure to paint fumes, solvents, and dust (especially during surface preparation) poses long-term respiratory and health risks.
✗Physically demanding in ways people underestimate — overhead painting, ladder work, and hours of repetitive brush and roller motion cause shoulder, neck, and arm problems.
✗The work can be repetitive and tedious, especially large-area rolling and production painting.
✗Low barriers to entry mean high competition, including from unlicensed and uninsured operators who undercut prices.
✗Lead paint exposure is a serious hazard when working on older buildings — EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) rules apply to pre-1978 buildings.

What the Life Is Like

Construction painters prepare and paint interior and exterior surfaces of buildings and structures. A typical day might involve setting up drop cloths and masking, sanding and priming walls, spraying, rolling, or brushing coats of paint, and doing detail work like cutting in at trim lines. The work divides into residential painting (homes and apartments), commercial painting (offices, retail, schools), and industrial painting (bridges, tanks, steel structures). Industrial painting typically pays the best but involves the most hazardous conditions.

Hours are typically 7 AM to 3:30 PM on commercial sites, with more flexible hours for residential painters. Exterior work is weather-dependent. The work culture is straightforward — speed and quality are both valued, and a painter who can deliver a clean finish efficiently will always be in demand. Commercial painting crews work on larger projects with more structure, while residential painters often work independently or in small crews.

Physically, painting is moderate but cumulative. It may not seem as demanding as framing or masonry, but hours of overhead painting, climbing up and down ladders, and the repetitive motion of brushing and rolling take their toll on shoulders, necks, and wrists. Spray painting requires respiratory protection and full body coverage. Surface preparation — sanding, scraping, power washing — is often the hardest part of the job. The best painters develop efficient techniques that minimize wasted motion and deliver consistent results.

How to Get Started

Get hired as a painter's helper

The fastest way into painting is to get hired by a painting contractor. Helpers handle prep work (masking, sanding, priming) and gradually learn to apply finish coats. Many contractors hire helpers with no experience and train them on the job.

Consider a formal apprenticeship for better career prospects

IUPAT (International Union of Painters and Allied Trades) runs apprenticeship programs lasting 3-4 years that provide structured training in surface preparation, application techniques, color theory, and safety. Union painters earn significantly more than non-union workers in most markets.

Get EPA RRP (Lead-Safe) certification

If you will work on buildings built before 1978, EPA requires RRP certification for disturbing lead-based paint. This one-day course is important for your safety and legally required for many painting jobs. It also makes you more valuable to employers.

Develop specialty skills

Learn to operate airless sprayers for production work, develop skill with decorative finishes (faux finishes, staining, wallcovering), or pursue industrial coating certifications (NACE/AMPP). Specialization is the path to higher pay in painting.

Start your own painting business

Painting has among the lowest startup costs of any trade business. With a few years of experience, a good reputation, a reliable vehicle, and basic equipment, you can start taking on your own jobs. Learning to estimate accurately and manage customer relationships is as important as your painting skill.

Felony Record & Licensing

Generally Accessible

No individual license required in most states for painters working under a contractor.

Painter (Construction) is one of the more accessible trades for people rebuilding after a conviction.

Training Funding & Support

Pell Grants Are Available Again

As of July 2023, the FAFSA no longer asks about drug convictions. The FAFSA Simplification Act restored Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. If a past drug conviction kept you from financial aid before, you can apply again.

WIOA Workforce Funding

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds free job training, career counseling, and supportive services (transportation, work clothes, childcare) for people reentering the workforce. Contact your local American Job Center (careeronestop.org) to see what's available in your area.

Ban-the-Box & Fair Chance Hiring

Over 37 states and 150+ cities have "ban-the-box" or fair chance hiring laws that prevent employers from asking about criminal history on job applications. Many require waiting until after an interview or conditional job offer. These laws are expanding rapidly — check your state's specific rules.

Licensing laws vary by state and change frequently. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Always verify with your state's licensing board before enrolling in a training program.

Data last verified March 2026 · View sources

We verify our data against official sources. Verification dates show when we last checked — they do not guarantee the information is still current. Laws, rates, and thresholds can change at any time. Always confirm critical information at the official source or with a qualified professional.

National Employment Law Project (NELP) — Fair Chance Hiring

General trade accessibility levels for people with felony convictions — categorized as generally-accessible, varies-by-state, often-restricted, or highly-restricted

https://www.nelp.org/policy-issue/criminal-records-and-employment/

Verified March 2026

trade-schools.net — Jobs for Felons

Trade accessibility and reentry employment guidance for specific trades

https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/jobs-for-felons

Verified March 2026

Hire Felons — Reentry Employment Guide

Employer reentry hiring policies and trade accessibility for people with felony convictions

https://www.hirefelons.org/

Verified March 2026

ASE — About ASE Testing

ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification — no criminal history screening

https://www.ase.com/certification-series/

Verified March 2026

OSHA — Powered Industrial Trucks

OSHA forklift certification — employer-provided, no criminal history screening

https://www.osha.gov/powered-industrial-trucks

Verified March 2026

EPA — Section 608 Technician Certification

EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification — no criminal history screening

https://www.epa.gov/section608

Verified March 2026

Federal Student Aid — FAFSA Simplification Act

Pell Grant eligibility restored for people with drug convictions and incarcerated individuals, effective July 1, 2023; PELL_GRANT_RESTORED_DATE: "July 2023"

FAFSA Simplification Act, Pub. L. 117-103 (2021); 20 U.S.C. § 1070a

https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-simplification

Verified March 2026

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) — Ban the Box Legislation

Ban-the-box and fair chance hiring laws — 37+ states + DC + 150+ localities as of 2026; BAN_THE_BOX_STATE_COUNT: 37; BAN_THE_BOX_CITY_COUNT: 150

https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/ban-the-box-legislation

Verified March 2026

NELP — Ban the Box: U.S. Cities, Counties, and States

Fair chance hiring law coverage — 37+ states + DC + 150+ localities; BAN_THE_BOX_PRIVATE_EMPLOYER_STATES: ["California", "Illinois", "New Jersey", "Washington"]

https://www.nelp.org/publication/ban-the-box-fair-chance-hiring-state-and-local-guide/

Verified March 2026

U.S. Department of Labor — Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO)

WIOA Section 169 workforce funding for reentry — job training, career counseling, and supportive services

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. § 3224; WIOA Sec. 169

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/reentry

Verified March 2026

Legal Information Institute — 18 U.S.C. § 922

18 U.S.C. § 922(g) — federal prohibition on felons possessing firearms, effectively barring law enforcement careers

18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922

Verified March 2026