Career Explorer Production
Human edge, steady
Painting, coating, and decorating workers
Paint, coat, or decorate articles, such as furniture, glass, plateware, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather.
In the middle of the pack: more resilient than 55% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +1.3% by 2035, slower than average.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $41,600
- Job growth to 2035
- +1.3%
- Openings a year
- 700
- People doing it (2025)
- 8,200
- Usual route in
- No formal credential, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Prepare mixtures or solutions
- Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Apply protective solutions or coatings
- Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects
- Operate industrial processing or production equipment
What the work looks like
- Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.
- Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.
- Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
- Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
- Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Laundry and dry-cleaning workersHuman edge, growing, Index 83, +4.3%
- Fiberglass laminators and fabricatorsHuman edge, growing, Index 86, +4.6%
- Ophthalmic laboratory techniciansHuman edge, steady, Index 68, +2.2%
- BakersHuman edge, growing, Index 76, +5.5%
Also known as: Decorator, Glazer, Painter, Pottery Decorator, Decaler, Glass Decorator, In Mold Coater, Silk-Screen Operator.
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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.