Construction and Extraction
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.
Also called: Building Trades Painter, Commercial Painter, Facilities Painter, Highway Painter, House Painter, Industrial Painter
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $57,820
- $27.80/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 3,220
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +5.5%
- 600 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- No formal educational credential
- plus Moderate-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,650 | $48,470 | $57,820 | $70,560 | $109,840 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- 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.
- Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure6 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 4
- Language-model AIOE 5
- GPTs-are-GPTs 8
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Painters have lower AI exposure, and there is little or no observed AI use in this work so far. AI tools might help a little with reading work orders or planning a job. Prep work, filling cracks, sanding, and applying paint are physical tasks that people do on site.
Likely to change
- Reading work orders and job instructions
- Estimating materials for a job
Still relies on people
- Sanding, filling, and prepping surfaces by hand
- Applying paint with brushes, rollers, and sprayers
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Roofers
Surface prep, coatings, and spraying waterproofing carry over to roofing. The move needs no formal credential and offers higher Boston median pay ($66,350).
- Pay difference
- +$8,530 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +7.7%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Careful prep work and attention to level and plumb lines carry over to masonry. The move offers an apprenticeship and Boston median pay of $96,960.
- Pay difference
- +$39,140 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +5.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Following work orders and working at heights on structures carry over to steel work. The move offers an apprenticeship and Boston median pay of $120,840.
- Pay difference
- +$63,020 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.1%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Who employs painters, construction and maintenance on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed painters, construction and maintenance, not who has openings.
366,322 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Painter).
- 22.0%
- of hours by boston residents
- 61.2%
- of hours by people of color
- 10.0%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soep Painting Corporation | 83,454 | 19.8% | 10 |
| Select Paint and Finishes | 55,085 | 14.4% | 9 |
| Century Drywall Inc. | 39,364 | 2.5% | 11 |
| M.L. McDonald Sales Company | 38,674 | 35.5% | 4 |
| CYA Painting | 18,436 | 35.3% | 1 |
| Aieres Group | 15,101 | 15.1% | 8 |
| Sousa & Company Inc | 12,735 | 26.8% | 4 |
| Dandis Contracting Inc. | 9,913 | 55.2% | 3 |
Related occupations
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Furniture Finishers
- Roofers
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Carpenters
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Tile and Stone Setters
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach