Painters, Construction and Maintenance

Description

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.

Tasks

  • Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
  • Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
  • Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats.
  • Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
  • Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders.
  • Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
  • Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.
  • Remove fixtures such as pictures, door knobs, lamps, or electric switch covers prior to painting.
  • Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly.
  • Mix and match colors of paint, stain, or varnish with oil or thinning and drying additives to obtain desired colors and consistencies.
  • Remove old finishes by stripping, sanding, wire brushing, burning, or using water or abrasive blasting.
  • Select and purchase tools or finishes for surfaces to be covered, considering durability, ease of handling, methods of application, and customers' wishes.
  • Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
  • Polish final coats to specified finishes.
  • Use special finishing techniques such as sponging, ragging, layering, or faux finishing.
  • Waterproof buildings, using waterproofers or caulking.
  • Cut stencils and brush or spray lettering or decorations on surfaces.
  • Spray or brush hot plastics or pitch onto surfaces.
  • Bake finishes on painted or enameled articles, using baking ovens.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Clerical
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Transportation
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities

Arm-Hand Steadiness
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Trunk Strength
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Gross Body Equilibrium
The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Extent Flexibility
The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Visual Color Discrimination
The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Work Activities

Handling and Moving Objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Getting Information
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Performing General Physical Activities
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Work Context

Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?

Interests

Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Enterprising
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Style

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Self Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Work Values

Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Lay Titles

Architectural Coating Finisher
Bitumastic Applier
Bridge Painter
Brush Painter
Buildings Painter
Calciminer
Calker
Chipper
Colored Liquid Plastic Applier
Decorator
Drywall Sprayer
Enameler
Facilities Painter
Filler
Glass Tinter
Highway Painter
House Decorator
House or Other Buildings Painter Apprentice
House Painter
Industrial Painter
Interior Decorator
Interior Decorator, Painting
Interior Painter
Kalsominer
Line Painting Machine Operator
Maintenance Painter
Maintenance Painter Apprentice
Marbleizer
Ornamental Painter
Painter
Painter and Decorator
Painter and Decorator Apprentice
Painter and Paperhanger Apprentice
Painter Apprentice
Parking Line Painter
Railroad Car Letterer
Red Leader
Roof Painter
Set Painter
Shipyard Painter
Shipyard Painter Apprentice
Sign Painter Apprentice
Silo Painter
Spray Painter
Stage Setting Painter Apprentice
Stage Settings Painter
Stainer
Stippler
Structural Steel Painter
Traffic Line Painter
Varnisher Apprentice

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):
$16.92 hourly, $35,190 annual.
Employment (2008):
184,330 employees