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Automotive painter vs sign painter

The differences between automotive painters and sign painters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an automotive painter, becoming a sign painter takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a sign painter has an average salary of $42,767, which is higher than the $40,894 average annual salary of an automotive painter.

The top three skills for an automotive painter include spray guns, OEM and coats. The most important skills for a sign painter are stencils, hand tools, and MUTCD.

Automotive painter vs sign painter overview

Automotive PainterSign Painter
Yearly salary$40,894$42,767
Hourly rate$19.66$20.56
Growth rate2%1%
Number of jobs36,7195,797
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age4242
Years of experience4-

Automotive painter vs sign painter salary

Automotive painters and sign painters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Automotive PainterSign Painter
Average salary$40,894$42,767
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $53,000Between $26,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between automotive painter and sign painter education

There are a few differences between an automotive painter and a sign painter in terms of educational background:

Automotive PainterSign Painter
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyGraphic Design
Most common college--

Automotive painter vs sign painter demographics

Here are the differences between automotive painters' and sign painters' demographics:

Automotive PainterSign Painter
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 95.0% Female, 5.0%Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 28.5% Asian, 2.1% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage4%5%

Differences between automotive painter and sign painter duties and responsibilities

Automotive painter example responsibilities.

  • Paint and/or refinish repair areas on vehicle to achieve a better than factory finish.
  • Set up ladders, and scaffolding according to regulation.
  • Use of relate PPE and knowledge of hazardous waste disposal procedures.
  • Set up portable equipment, such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, or scaffolding.
  • Sand vehicle surfaces between coats of paint or primer to remove flaws and enhance adhesion for subsequent coats.
  • Work with PPG waterborne paint and primers.
  • Show more

Sign painter example responsibilities.

  • Paint steam and water treatment piping using scaffolding, safety harnesses, and follow refinery safety protocols
  • Operate compressors, sandblasters and spray equipment.

Automotive painter vs sign painter skills

Common automotive painter skills
  • Spray Guns, 18%
  • OEM, 13%
  • Coats, 10%
  • Hazardous Waste, 9%
  • Stencils, 8%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Common sign painter skills
  • Stencils, 31%
  • Hand Tools, 21%
  • MUTCD, 19%
  • Motor Vehicle, 16%
  • Traffic Signs, 11%
  • Coats, 1%

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