---
title: "How to Become a Commercial Painter: Training and Pay"
description: "How to become a construction painter: on-the-job training and union apprenticeships, surface prep, industrial coatings, safety and May 2025 BLS pay."
url: https://shapemycareer.com/trades/painter/
updated: 2026-10-10
site: ShapeMyCareer
---

Trade · Painter

# How to become a commercial painter

Surface prep, coatings and a steady trade.

On-the-job training · Many settings

Construction and maintenance painters coat walls, bridges, tanks and buildings. Most of the job is preparation: cleaning, sanding, masking and fixing surfaces so the paint lasts.

In short

Most construction painters learn on the job and need no formal education, though union painters apprenticeships of two to four years offer structured training and higher pay scales. Industrial painters who apply specialized coatings to bridges and tanks often earn more. Construction and maintenance painters earned a median $49,400 in May 2025, with about 24,900 openings a year, per BLS.

**Sources checked October 9, 2026** Pay, training and outlook come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay is the middle (median) figure nationally; your first paycheck in the trade will usually be lower.

| Middle pay | $49,400 a year, roughly $23.75 an hour (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| How most people start | No diploma needed to start, then moderate-term on-the-job training |
| People in the trade | About 326,900 nationwide (2025) |
| Growth to 2035 | BLS expects 3% growth |
| Openings a year | Around 24,900, counting retirements |

From the [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm) Employment Projections table (2025 to 2035) and May 2025 wage survey. These are U.S. numbers. Local shops may pay above or below them, and apprentices start well under the middle figure.

## Where painters work

- New commercial construction
- Repaint and maintenance for property managers
- Industrial coatings on steel, tanks and bridges
- Residential repaint

### Find construction training

Tell us your ZIP and we will send programs nearby.

[Find training near me](#smc-form)

## Straight answers

### Do you need training to be a painter?

Not formally, but apprenticeships and safety training help you move up.

### Is painting a union trade?

Many commercial painters are union members, and union apprenticeships exist in many areas.

### What pays more in painting?

Industrial coatings and specialty work usually pay more than residential repaint.

## Where this comes from

- [BLS OOH: Painters, Construction and Maintenance](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/painters-construction-and-maintenance.htm)
- [Painters, construction and maintenance in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/painters-construction-and-maintenance.htm)
- [BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025 to 2035)](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm)

## Keep looking

- [Carpenter](https://shapemycareer.com/trades/carpenter/)
- [OSHA 10](https://shapemycareer.com/certifications/osha-10/)
- [Apprenticeships](https://shapemycareer.com/apprenticeships/)
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- [Heavy equipment operator](https://shapemycareer.com/trades/heavy-equipment-operator/)

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