What does an Industrial Painter do?
An industrial painter specializes in providing painting services to industries such as construction and manufacturing. They typically paint, clean, or varnish various types of surfaces. Aside from walls and buildings, they may also paint cars and other materials. An industrial painter mostly works with a team of other painters, adhering to deadlines and manager directives. Furthermore, as an industrial painter, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Industrial painter responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real industrial painter resumes:
- Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, and erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders
- Full PPE protection provide suits, full face air supply respirators, safety glasses, gloves of different types.
- Lead painter for aerospace finishing company.
- Apply coatings with desire mil thickness.
- Paint all prepare parts using enamel and lacquers.
- Wear cartridge, partical, organic and force air respirators.
- Conduct OSHA safety meetings, issue and grade safety tests.
- order material, run a four man crew, time sheets ,
- Have little experience as a machine operator using cnc operating machines.
- Work with aluminum sheet metal hand brake and aluminum sheet metal shear.
- Practice safety according to state and federal laws and regulations which also includes PPE.
- Apply erudite to aluminum parts to prevent corrosion and to increase conduction of electricity.
- Adjust controls on infrare ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying between coats.
- Conduct the inspection and/or responsible for safe operation of man lifts, fall arrest systems and scaffolding.
- Maintain an organize and safe work environment and ensuring all MSDS, OSHA and company guidelines are consistently being follow.
Industrial painter skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Industrial Painters are proficient in Work Ethic, Coats, and Ladders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Color vision.
We break down the percentage of Industrial Painters that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Work Ethic, 12%
Remained efficient in all duties keeping high quality levels and professional work ethic.
- Coats, 9%
Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying between coats.
- Ladders, 6%
Set up scaffolding, ladders, and operate Boom lift safely.
- Hand Tools, 5%
Filed, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- Paint Guns, 5%
Operated gravity fed/siphon paint guns, airless paint sprayers, pressure pot paint applications.
- Painting Equipment, 4%
Disassembled cleaned and repaired all painting equipment.
Most industrial painters use their skills in "work ethic," "coats," and "ladders" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential industrial painter responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform industrial painter duties is detail oriented. Industrial painters responsibilities require that "painters must be precise when creating or painting edges for overall quality of appearance." Industrial painters also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "detailed description prepping department: taping and plugging parts on and off assembly line. "
Physical strength. A big part of what industrial painters do relies on "physical strength." You can see how essential it is to industrial painter responsibilities because "painters must be able to lift at least 50 pounds and move heavy items during the course of a job." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical industrial painter tasks: "performed interior and exterior painting and other job related physical labor. "
The three companies that hire the most industrial painters are:
- Aerotek18 industrial painters jobs
- Eaton16 industrial painters jobs
- Wastequip10 industrial painters jobs
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Compare different industrial painters
Industrial painter vs. Painter apprentice
Painter Apprentices work for an organization either full time or part-time while undertaking formal training on the job. Their duties include working out needed materials quantity through job specifications, drawings, or surface measurements, and erecting structures to protect the area from paint such as ladders, scaffoldings, and drop sheets. Painter Apprentices are responsible for removing old paint, preparing surfaces, selecting paints, rolling, brushing, and spraying paint, wallpapering, and putting on decorative finishes such as marbling, color glaze, and stencils.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, industrial painter responsibilities require skills like "ladders," "hand tools," "painting equipment," and "sand blast." Meanwhile a typical painter apprentice has skills in areas such as "direct supervision," "protective coverings," "safety rules," and "drywall repair." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Painter apprentices tend to make the most money working in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,857. In contrast, industrial painters make the biggest average salary, $42,021, in the automotive industry.painter apprentices tend to reach similar levels of education than industrial painters. In fact, painter apprentices are 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Industrial painter vs. Painter supervisor
Each career also uses different skills, according to real industrial painter resumes. While industrial painter responsibilities can utilize skills like "work ethic," "ladders," "hand tools," and "sand blast," painter supervisors use skills like "exterior painting," "drywall repair," "production schedules," and "quality checks."
Painter supervisors earn a higher average salary than industrial painters. But painter supervisors earn the highest pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $54,015. Additionally, industrial painters earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $42,021 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Painter supervisors tend to reach similar levels of education than industrial painters. In fact, they're 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial painter vs. Painter assistant
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from industrial painter resumes include skills like "work ethic," "ladders," "hand tools," and "sand blast," whereas a painter assistant is more likely to list skills in "smooth surfaces," "exterior painting," "vehicle surfaces," and "customer vehicles. "
Painter assistants make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $41,733. On the other hand, industrial painters are paid the highest salary in the automotive industry, with average annual pay of $42,021.Most painter assistants achieve a similar degree level compared to industrial painters. For example, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Industrial painter vs. Painter foreman
Types of industrial painter
Updated January 8, 2025
