Career Explorer Construction and trades
Human edge, steady
Painters, construction and maintenance
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.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 71% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +3.0% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $49,400
- Job growth to 2035
- +3.0%
- Openings a year
- 24,900
- People doing it (2025)
- 327,000
- Usual route in
- No formal credential, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- Prepare mixtures or solutions
- Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Perform general construction or extraction activities
- Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment
- Apply protective solutions or coatings
What the work looks like
- Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
- Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
- Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
- Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
- Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Structural iron and steel workersHuman edge, steady, Index 75, +3.1%
- Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masonsHuman edge, steady, Index 77, +1.5%
- Floor sanders and finishersHuman edge, steady, Index 73, +1.4%
- Construction laborersHuman edge, growing, Index 93, +7.3%
Also known as: Building Trades Painter, Industrial Painter, Maintenance Painter, Painter, Commercial Painter, Facilities Painter, Highway Painter, House Painter.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.