How to hire a painter assistant

How to hire a painter assistant, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The painter assistant 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

   A painter assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, painter assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents painter assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Painter Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Painter Assistant	Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, bridges, and other structures.	$12-28
   Industrial Painter	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... Show more	$12-30
   Journeyman Painter	A Journeyman Painter specializes in painting walls and other surfaces according to project needs. Aside from applying paint, a journeyman painter is also responsible for cleaning and scraping off the dirt to prepare the painting procedures, identify client preferences, select equipment, and technique, and apply other finishes... Show more	$12-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Wire Brushes
   • Smooth Surfaces
   • Exterior Painting
   • Vehicle Surfaces
   • Sandblasters
   • Caulking
   • Safety Procedures
   • Hazardous Materials
   • Coats
   • Primer
   • Customer Vehicles
   • Wet Sand
   • Exterior Surfaces
   • General Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Require to mix paint, roll primer, caulking and prep houses for painting.
   • Work independently on job sites caulking, rolling, and other painting prep/finish work.
   • Apply prime, intermediate and final coats of semi-gloss, glossy and other paint.
   • Paint steam and water treatment piping using scaffolding, safety harnesses, and follow refinery safety protocols
   • Operate equipment such as sanders, forklifts, respirators.
   • Operate equipment such as pressure cleaners, hoists, forklifts, respirators.

   More painter assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your painter assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A painter assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a painter assistant in Alabama may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level painter assistant usually earns less than a senior-level painter assistant. Additionally, a painter assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average painter assistant salary

   $39,321yearly

   $18.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level painter assistant salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average painter assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$49,337	$24
   2	Pennsylvania	$48,054	$23
   3	New York	$46,735	$22
   4	Illinois	$44,898	$22
   5	Minnesota	$44,834	$22
   6	Washington	$41,206	$20
   7	Colorado	$39,196	$19
   8	South Carolina	$35,886	$17
   9	Florida	$35,885	$17
   10	Tennessee	$35,247	$17
   11	Texas	$34,912	$17
   12	Oklahoma	$34,520	$17
   13	Idaho	$32,678	$16

   Average painter assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mark Jacobson Toyota	$64,390	$30.96
   2	Oshkosh	$43,170	$20.75	15
   3	Motor Coach Industries	$42,779	$20.57
   4	Montgomery County Public Schools	$41,233	$19.82
   5	Orizon	$38,896	$18.70
   6	Multiquip	$38,415	$18.47
   7	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$38,209	$18.37	2
   8	Twin Cities Stores	$37,550	$18.05
   9	University of Tennessee	$37,140	$17.86
   10	Remedy Intelligent Staffing	$36,305	$17.45
   11	LaborMAX Staffing	$35,907	$17.26	1
   12	ManpowerGroup	$35,686	$17.16	11
   13	St. Cloud High School	$35,682	$17.15
   14	Integrity Staffing	$35,560	$17.10	2
   15	Workbox Staffing	$34,822	$16.74	3
   16	Elwood Staffing	$34,304	$16.49
   17	Express Employment Indy South	$34,172	$16.43	1
   18	LMI Aerospace	$33,240	$15.98
   19	Atlas Staffing	$33,099	$15.91

4. Writing a painter assistant job description

   A good painter assistant job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a painter assistant job description:

   Painter assistant job description example

   Cable Dahmer of Topeka is hiring experienced individuals for our Auto Body Paint Prepper/Assistant position.
   
   The individual must have a minimum of 2 years of experience, a professional attitude, strong communication skills, good work ethic and the ability to multi-task. The person must also be very quality oriented.
   
   Candidates must have a valid unrestricted driver's license and be able to pass a preemployment background check. Candidates must also be able to perform all job functions that require bending, standing, lifting, and reaching.
   Perks and Benefits:
   Paid Vacation
   Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance & Pharmacy Coverage
   Health Savings Account
   Paid Short Term Disability
   Health & Wellness programs
   401k + Company Match Contributions
   Growth Opportunities with Continuous Training and Development
   Employee discounts - Service, Parts, Body Shop and Sales
   Responsibilities:
   Review Repair Orders and Estimates
   Completing Paint Preparation steps including but not limited to: Sanding, Scuffing, Masking, Priming, Color Cut in, Polishing
   Check parts against estimate and ensures proper parts are ordered and received
   Prepares vehicles for body repair work
   Notifies management of any additional repairs needed. Documents and additional parts and labor required to perform a satisfactory repair
   Notifies management of any difficulties or problems that may prevent a quality job from being performed or cause a change in the promised time
   Cooperates and assists other personnel in the repair and prepping of vehicles
   Requirements:
   Experience with Axalta paint preferred
   Maintain high ethical standards
   Operate a motor vehicle in the state of Missouri with a valid driver licens
   Works well in a team-based environment
   Maintains and wears all required safety and health personal equipment, including respirator, in the manner recommended by the equipment manufacturer
   Complies with all laws and regulations pertaining to paint, thinners and other hazardous materials. Reports any deviations to management
   Demonstrates behaviors consistent with the Company's Values in all interactions with customers, co-workers and vendors
   Understands, keeps abreast of and complies with federal, state and local regulations that affect body shop operations, such as hazardous waste disposal, OSHA Right-to-Know, etc.
   Other duties may be assigned by management
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination/harassment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right painter assistant 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 painter assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit painter assistants 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.

   To find painter assistant candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as constructionjobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit painter assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 painter assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the painter assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new painter assistant. 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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