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The differences between aircraft painters and auto body painters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aircraft painter and an auto body painter. Additionally, an aircraft painter has an average salary of $40,227, which is higher than the $36,508 average annual salary of an auto body painter.
The top three skills for an aircraft painter include ladders, coats and stencils. The most important skills for an auto body painter are mask, spray guns, and paint guns.
| Aircraft Painter | Auto Body Painter | |
| Yearly salary | $40,227 | $36,508 |
| Hourly rate | $19.34 | $17.55 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 6,791 | 11,600 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An aircraft painter is responsible for applying paints on the aircraft surfaces and inspecting the condition of the plane parts to ensure that the task would not affect the plane's performance in any way. Aircraft painters operate various tools and equipment to manage the flow of coating and painting according to the business specifications and requirements. They may also perform basic repairs to some surface areas to keep the paint intact, especially in critical spots that would need utmost carefulness.
An auto body painter is a trained professional who specializes in applying paint and finishing to the exterior of vehicles such as cars, buses, and trucks. Their job entails understanding the project requirements, preparing the necessary paint and materials, filling scratches to smoothen surfaces, utilizing spray guns and other equipment, and adhering to goals and deadlines. In some establishments, an auto body painter may communicate directly with clients to answer inquiries, provide price quotes, and give them regular updates. They may also train and supervise new staff, providing them with technical support and guidance.
Aircraft painters and auto body painters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Painter | Auto Body Painter | |
| Average salary | $40,227 | $36,508 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $26,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Lodi, NJ |
| Highest paying state | - | Vermont |
| Best paying company | - | GILLIG |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an aircraft painter and an auto body painter in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Painter | Auto Body Painter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 57% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between aircraft painters' and auto body painters' demographics:
| Aircraft Painter | Auto Body Painter | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 3.4% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |