What does an auto body painter do?
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.
Auto body painter responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real auto body painter resumes:
- Paint and/or refinish repair areas on vehicle to achieve a better than factory finish.
- Apply base coats and clear coats Mig weld frames, body panels, etc.
- Certify body repair, painting, refinishing, MIG welding, steel welding, brazing, and soldering.
- Paint cars using solvents and water base coats.
- Prep cars for paint jobs which include mask tape and wet sand.
- Sand bodies of construction equipment as required for application of primer and paint.
- Specialize in design and execution of custom paint schemes/artwork including application of base coats and clear coats.
- Utilize many paint brands including DuPont, PPG, Sikens, Valspar, and other after- market products.
- Repair dents, primer vehicles, prepare vehicle before painting, paint all the shops vehicles, sand and polish.
- Perform masonry waterproofing exterior masonry staining; maintain acoustical tile and factory apply finishes and caulking; and perform preventive maintenance.
- Entrust to paint luxury cars, including Ferrari, BMW, and Maserati.
Auto body painter skills and personality traits
We calculated that 66% of Auto Body Painters are proficient in Mask, Spray Guns, and Paint Guns. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Mechanical skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Auto Body Painters that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Mask, 66%
Place body repairs in primer, mask up, seal spot or all over.
- Spray Guns, 31%
Used power grinders, hand tools, sanders, spray guns and power tools.
- Paint Guns, 1%
Operated paint guns to paint utility poles Material handler observe gauges and adjusted controls when and if needed Examine products for quality
- Coats, 0%
Specialized in design and execution of custom paint schemes/artwork including application of base coats and clear coats.
- Painting Process, 0%
Prepare vehicle for painting process by filling in dents and removing any rust.
- Hazardous Waste, 0%
Prepare hazardous waste for pick up.
Common skills that an auto body painter uses to do their job include "mask," "spray guns," and "paint guns." You can find details on the most important auto body painter responsibilities below.
Color vision. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an auto body painter to have is color vision. Their role and responsibilities require that "workers must be able to blend new paint colors in order to match existing colors on a surface." Auto body painters often use color vision in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "run color code into computer system that would then specify exact paint mixture per ounce. "
Mechanical skills. Another essential skill to perform auto body painter duties is mechanical skills. Auto body painters responsibilities require that "workers must be able to operate and maintain sprayers that apply paints and coatings." Auto body painters also use mechanical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "use computerized equipment to assist in the diagnosis of mechanical problems. "
Physical strength. This is an important skill for auto body painters to perform their duties. For an example of how auto body painter responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "workers may need to lift heavy objects." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an auto body painter: "performed interior and exterior painting and other job related physical labor. ".
The three companies that hire the most auto body painters are:
- Crash5 auto body painters jobs
- Factory Direct, Inc2 auto body painters jobs
- PDS Tech1 auto body painters jobs
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Compare different auto body painters
Auto body painter vs. Transportation equipment painter
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, auto body painter responsibilities require skills like "mask," "spray guns," "paint guns," and "coats." Meanwhile a typical transportation equipment painter has skills in areas such as "construction equipment," "hand tools," "cranes," and "hoists." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Transportation equipment painters tend to reach similar levels of education than auto body painters. In fact, transportation equipment painters are 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Auto body painter vs. Sandblaster paint sprayer
Each career also uses different skills, according to real auto body painter resumes. While auto body painter responsibilities can utilize skills like "painting process," "i-car," "spatulas," and "color specifications," sandblaster paint sprayers use skills like "safety regulations," "storage tanks," "painting equipment," and "safety procedures."
Sandblaster paint sprayers earn similar levels of education than auto body painters in general. They're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Auto body painter vs. Aircraft painter apprentice
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, auto body painters are more likely to have skills like "mask," "spray guns," "paint guns," and "surface preparation." But a aircraft painter apprentice is more likely to have skills like "support equipment," "aircraft maintenance," "technical data," and "troubleshoot."
Most aircraft painter apprentices achieve a similar degree level compared to auto body painters. For example, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Auto body painter vs. Vehicle painter
Types of auto body painter
Updated January 8, 2025
