Lifestyle of a Painter

07 Mar Lifestyle of a Painter

If you’re considering a career as a professional painter, we’ve got the answers to your industry questions. Take a peek into a painter’s workday to learn about the many different responsibilities and skills used on the job.

Discover why the professional painting industry is growing, what benefits this career offers and what steps you can take to join this expanding industry.

Professional Painter Job Description

A professional painter is responsible for painting commercial and residential properties, from careful surface preparation to the final paint layer, in a safe and efficient manner. An experienced painter understands how to select and apply different paint treatments for various exterior materials to guarantee a long-lasting, beautiful finish for the client.

The most common duties and responsibilities of a professional painter include:

• Communication: Talk with clients about their paint needs, the painting process and pay rates, and help them choose their best course of action.
• Equipment management: Clean and maintain all paint supplies — paintbrushes, sprayers, rollers, tape and coverings.
• Surface preparation: Repair, restore, patch, sand, seal and prime different surfaces for building exteriors, interiors and fixtures.
• Project diversity: Paint for new construction, existing buildings, multi-story locations, remodels, alterations and more.
• Paint expertise: Mix and match colors to finish surfaces with water-based acrylic and latex, oil-based enamel, stains, lacquer and epoxy.
• Application methods: Operate equipment to paint in a clean, precise manner — brushing, rolling, spraying and detailing.
• Teamwork: Work with a team of painters to prepare, paint, clean and efficiently complete painting jobs.
• Safety practices: Set up ventilators and other safety equipment to protect yourself and painters from fumes.
• Job site protection: Keep furniture, floors and other surfaces paint-free with tape, drop cloths and other coverings.
• Support structures: Set up and tear down rigging, ladders and scaffolding to comply with safety codes.

The national average salary for professional painters is around $33K to more than $45K per year, depending on location, experience, education and skill level. Professional painters in Missouri who fulfill the above duties can make on average $8K more than painters in other states.

A Day in the Life of a Professional Painter

Being a professional painter is so much more than just being able to roll wet paint onto a wall. Sure, painters apply paint to residential and commercial structures, but they also complete a wide range of physical, organizational, problem-solving and creative tasks on any given day.

No two days are exactly the same for a painter. You may start the week on a school exterior painting project, and by Friday, you’re putting the finishing touches on a new construction building. Maybe it’s a messy Monday scraping and repairing walls in an older residence. Or it could be a more physical Thursday of setting up scaffolding and hauling paint up flights of stairs in a three-story building.

Some days may involve no painting at all! A paint-free afternoon meeting with clients to help them pick the best paints for their project is just as important as paint application days.

Let’s take a peek into a typical day in the life of a professional painter:

1. Travel to the job site with paint, tools and other equipment.
2. Carefully cover and protect the flooring and furniture.
3. Work with the team to set up and position ladders.
4. Fill nail holes and repair cracks with fillers.
5. Sand, clean and prime the walls.
6. Mix paint and prepare the rollers or sprayers.
7. Cut in wall edging and corners with a paintbrush.
8. Caulk and paint the trim, moldings and woodwork.
9. Tape off the trim and apply coats of paint to the walls.
10. Step back to enjoy the transformative power of a beautiful paint job!
11. Clean the job site and equipment at the end of the workday.

Is Painting Houses a Hard Job?

While professional painting is a physically demanding career, it is also a rewarding job that offers a lot of variety. As a painter, you are expected to be proficient in the following day-to-day job requirements:

• Physical fitness and safety: Painters bend, kneel, climb and stand on their feet all day. As a professional painter, you must be comfortable with that level of activity and heights. Painters climb extension ladders, move equipment, transport gallons of paint, set up scaffolding and complete other physical labor activities.
• Patience and precision: The best paint jobs require confidence, a steady hand and an eye for detail. Embrace a willingness to learn innovative painting techniques to improve your skills, master crisp edges, prevent paint bleeding and guarantee durable finishes that last the test of time.
• Reliable transportation: You’ll need dependable transportation to travel to Kansas City area job sites on time.
• Outdoor work capability: Be prepared to perform physical labor outside in all seasons, in varying weather conditions.
• Independent and team-oriented mentality: Great painters work with minimal supervision, follow instructions closely and work well with a team.

Home Painting Education and Job Training

No formal education is required to start your journey as a painter. Professional painters typically learn their trade on the job. Painting apprenticeships and trade school programs offer instruction and certification to become residential, commercial or industrial painters. These programs and on-the-job training teach new painters how to prepare surfaces, safely operate equipment and paint using various techniques.

Many beginner painters choose to first apprentice at a business and get hired on as a professional painter. Neighborhood Painting is proud to offer top-quality, hands-on painter apprenticeship opportunities at our award-winning company. Learn valuable skills and grow from apprentice to professional painter with one of the fastest-growing companies in the region, recognized for our expertise, superior service and innovative business approach.

Is Painting a Good Career Choice for Me?

If you’re wondering whether a painting career is a good fit, ask yourself the following:

• Are you capable of — and do you enjoy — physical activity?
• Do you like learning about color mixing, design tips and paint techniques?
• Can you work with minimal supervision and closely follow instructions?
• Do others consider you to be personable and a good communicator?
• Are you looking for dependable, full-time work all year long?
• Do competitive wages and advancement opportunities interest you?
• Are you highly motivated with a strong work ethic?

If you answer “yes” to these questions, then painting sounds like an excellent career choice for you!

Is Painting a Good Trade?

As far as industry stability is concerned, painting is absolutely a solid trade in hot demand right now. Between skyrocketing home builds, increased remodeling and restoration projects, and plenty of new construction, the need for highly trained painters has increased significantly.

Our full-time painters work 40 hours or more each week year-round with weekly overtime opportunities from March to November. Painters love working steady hours in an ever-growing profession. If you enjoy an active job, a wide range of tasks throughout your day and getting out of an office to work outside, professional painting may be perfect for you!

Begin Your House Painting Career at Neighborhood Painting

If you’re looking for an exciting career opportunity, you’ve come to the right place! With an impressive 95% customer satisfaction rate, there’s a reason our process works. We work differently than most other paint companies because we never use subcontractors — we train our employees in craftsman-level techniques and extensive preparation practices, so you can reach your career goals.

When you train and work with us, you invest in yourself by learning from the best and boosting your professional growth potential. Contact Neighborhood Painting to learn more about open positions and apprenticeships to join our expanding team!