What You'll Do

  • 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.
  • Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.
  • Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.
  • Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.
  • Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces.
  • Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
  • Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.
  • Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 2.88/5
Monitoring 2.88/5
Social Perceptiveness 2.88/5
Coordination 2.88/5
Reading Comprehension 2.75/5
Speaking 2.75/5
Critical Thinking 2.75/5
Time Management 2.62/5
Judgment and Decision Making 2.5/5
Service Orientation 2.38/5
Writing 2.25/5
Active Learning 2.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Perseverance, Innovation

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Near Vision 3.62/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.5/5
Visual Color Discrimination 3.38/5
Manual Dexterity 3.25/5
Oral Comprehension 3.0/5
Oral Expression 3.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.0/5
Finger Dexterity 3.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Adobe FreeHand MX Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Corel WordPerfect Office Suite Microsoft Excel

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.41/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.19/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 3.74/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 3.56/5)
  • Innovation (High importance: 3.51/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

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How to Become One

Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this career. Training is provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Air Brush Decorator Air Brush Operator Airbrush Painter Art Gilder Babbitter Bake Off Decorator Bakery Decorator Balloon Dipper Banner Painter Barrel Coater Barrel Liner Battery Container Finishing Hand Bisque Ware Dipper Blocker Bottom Painter Bowling Pin Refinisher Braze Applicator Brush Hand Brush Painter Brusher Bun Icer Button Spindler Cake Decorator Carroter Ceramic Painter Chalker China Decorator Clip Coater Clock Hands Dipper Clock Hands Painter Coater Coater Operator Coating Operator Coating Technician Colorer Cork Painter Decal Applier Decal Decorator Decal Maker Decaler Decorator Design Painter Dial Marker Dial Painter Dial Refinisher Dipper Drawer Waxer Drier Duller Duster Dyer Edge Stainer Electroless Plater Electrostatic Painter Embossed Lettering Painter Enamel Applier Enamel Finisher Enameler Enrobing Machine Corder Filler Film Coater Finisher Foam Gun Operator Fur Blender Furniture Stainer Gilder Glass Bulb Silverer Glass Decorator Glass Manufacturing Decorator Glass Tinter Glaze Sprayer Glazer Gold Letterer Hand Bander Hand Candle Dipper Hand Candy Dipper Hand Decorator Hand Funnel Coater Hand Painter Hand Sign Writer Hand Sprayer Hand Striper Hand Touch Up Painter Hat Sprayer Highlighter Impressed Lettering Painter In Mold Coater Inker Inlayer Japanner Jewelry Enameler Keg Varnisher Lacquer Sprayer Lacquerer Latexer Leather Coater Lens Coater Lens Coating Technician Letterer Lighting Fixtures Decorator Liner Luster Applicator Mannequin Coloring Artist Mannequin Decorator Mannequin Refinisher Manugrapher Map Colorer Masker Mirror Maker Mirror Painter Mirror Silverer Neckties Painter Neon Sign Maker Opaquer Optical Glass Silverer Oxidizer Painter Painting Technician Painting Worker Panel Edge Painter Panman Paper Stripper Paster Pattern Painter Pinner Plate Painter Porcelain Enamel Repairer Porcelain Enameler Porcelain Finish Sprayer Pottery and Porcelain Liner Pottery Decorator Powder Coat Painter Powder Coater Powderer Print Decorator Production Metal Sprayer Putty Glazer Resin Coater Rug Backing Stenciler Rug Touch-Up Painter Screen Printer Shader Shellacker Sign Artist Sign Fabricator Sign Letterer Sign Painter Sign Writer Silicator Silk-Screen Operator Silver Spray Worker Silverer Ski Edge Painter Smoking Pipe Liner Soaper Spray Gun Operator Spray Gun Striper Spray Gunner Spray Painter Spray Technician (Spray Tech) Sprayer Stager Stainer Starcher Stenciler Stiffener Stove Refinisher Striper Stripper Thermal Spray Operator Tile Decorator Tinter Touch-Up Painter Toy Painter Tracer Trademark Affixer Under Seal Operator Undercoater Wallcovering Texturer Watch Hands Dipper Watch Hands Painter Waxer White Shoe Ragger Window Tinter Wiper Wood Stainer

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.