How To Become An Aircraft Painter: What It Is and Career Path

What is an aircraft painter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Most people will probably ride an airplane at least once in their lives. It is a very convenient way of traveling, especially if you want to visit places on the other side of the world. Airplanes usually give off an aura of elegance. With the spotless interior and a shining exterior, it truly feels great to be on one. Different airlines have different airplane colors and designs to ensure that they are distinct from others. They hire aircraft painters to do the job.

Aircraft painters handle painting jobs for aircraft. They ensure that the aircraft is properly primed before painting on them. They also ensure that the paint they will use is resilient enough to survive the pressure brought about by the altitude and the speed of the aircraft. In addition to this, they also make sure that the paint is weather-proof. Aircraft painters should also be mindful of design elements that should be painted on the body. They should also be updated with new or innovative solutions related to their role.

If you like working with clients and are comfortable working with paint, you might want to check out this role. Just make sure you would keep yourself updated with best practices and industry standards.

ScoreAircraft PainterUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $40,227

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 2.92%

Black or African American 13.47%

Hispanic or Latino 22.68%

Unknown 3.83%

White 56.61%

Gender

female 9.04%

male 90.96%

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

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an aircraft painter

Explore aircraft painter education requirements

Most common aircraft painter degrees

High School Diploma

45.2 %

Associate

16.8 %

Diploma

16.8 %

Start to develop specific aircraft painter skills

Skills	Percentages
Ladders	9.41%
Coats	7.71%
Stencils	7.36%
Touch UPS	7.30%
Hand Tools	5.16%

Complete relevant aircraft painter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New aircraft painters 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 an aircraft painter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real aircraft painter resumes.

Research aircraft painter duties and responsibilities

Paint and/or refinish repair areas on vehicle to achieve a better than factory finish.
Apply primer and topcoat by using HVLP pressurize pot and cup guns to aircraft surface, wheel wells and intakes.
Paint using PPG water borne paint.
Apply coats of paint with gravity fed spray gun and oxygen suit with mask.

Prepare your aircraft painter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your aircraft painter 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 an aircraft painter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable aircraft painter resume templates

Build a professional aircraft painter 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 aircraft painter resume.