How To Become A Paint Preparer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a paint preparer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a paint preparer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.94 an hour? That's $33,153 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 4,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScorePaint PreparerUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,153

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.1

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.53%

Asian 3.28%

Black or African American 10.41%

Hispanic or Latino 22.67%

Unknown 3.97%

White 59.15%

Gender

female 15.60%

male 84.40%

Age - 41.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41.5

Stress Level

5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

2.6

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.8

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a paint preparer

Explore paint preparer education requirements

Most common paint preparer degrees

High School Diploma

47.5 %

Diploma

20.0 %

Associate

12.5 %

Start to develop specific paint preparer skills

Skills	Percentages
Caulking	59.21%
Mask	17.09%
Painting Process	14.28%
Coats	9.41%

Complete relevant paint preparer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New paint preparers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a paint preparer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real paint preparer resumes.

Research paint preparer duties and responsibilities

Install, repair and fabricate fiberglass components within specifications dictate by military contracts.
Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.

Prepare your paint preparer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your paint preparer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a paint preparer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Paint Preparer Resume templates

Build a professional Paint Preparer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Paint Preparer resume.

Apply for paint preparer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a paint preparer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do paint preparers rate their job?