How to hire a lead painter

How to hire a lead painter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead painter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead painter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead painter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lead painter hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a lead painter to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a lead painter that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of lead painter salaries for various roles:

   Type of Lead Painter	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Painter	Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, bridges, and other structures.	$11-33
   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... Show more	$13-22
   Painter Helper	A painter helper is a specialist who assists the principal painter with the preparation of a room, building, car, or other objects. You will be responsible for the preliminary work before the actual painting, such as preparing the work area, scraping off old paint, buffing and sanding surfaces, and applying filler and taping... Show more	$10-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • XRF
   • Safety Procedures
   • OSHA
   • Coats
   • Caulking
   • Exterior Painting
   • Asbestos
   • Drop Cloths
   • Safety Standards
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Spray Guns
   • Painting Trade
   • Paint Brushes
   • Paint Sprayers

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage painting crews in both commercial and industrial environments from swing stage to high boom work.
   • Set up portable equipment such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, and scaffolding.
   • Use of proper PPE per chemical uses.
   • Verify adherence to ISO requirements and quality control standards.
   • Prime, paint and detail/finishing techniques using HVLP automotive paint systems.
   • Maintain the utmost compliance with ISO and other operating standards and procedures.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead painter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lead painter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, lead painters' average salary in arkansas is 47% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lead painters earn 65% less than senior-level lead painters.
   • Certifications. A lead painter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lead painter's salary.

   Average lead painter salary

   $40,823yearly

   $19.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead painter salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a lead painter job description

   A lead painter job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a lead painter job description:

   Lead painter job description example

   About JQ Paint
   
   JQ Paint is an equal opportunity employer painting residential and commercial properties in Southern California since 2000. We strive to combine the highest level of service, experience, and quality to provide our clients with the very best painting solutions. If you meet the criteria above, we look forward to meeting you! We are looking to expand our services and need qualified, experienced painters on board as soon as possible!
   
   Search for JQ Paint on YELP and see our credibility for yourself.
   
   When you are ready to join our family of dynamic, professional painters, get in touch with us. Send us your resume and let us know why we should bring you on board.

   Requirements

   • Be able to legally work in the USA
   • Be able to pass a background check and drug test
   • Have reliable transportation
   • Have at least 3 years of experience painting
   • Have your own hand tools (Brushes, Masking equipment, Screwdrivers, Hammers, etc)
   • Start shifts between 5am & 7am depending on time of year and department
   • Be willing to work overtime on a regular basis and with little or no notice
   • Be ready to work in a high paced environment with strict deadlines
   • Be clean, professional, and respectful
   • Work well with others and take direction or criticism constructively
   • Be able to lift 60+ lbs multiple times in a day
   • Be able to push, pull, and lift on a regular basis
   • Be able to work in various positions for extended periods of time (this is PAINTING!)
   • Be able to stay focused while keeping a lighthearted and positive mood

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right lead painter for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with lead painters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit lead painters who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead painter job on Zippia to find and recruit lead painter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit lead painters, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead painter

   Once you've found the lead painter candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new lead painter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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