What is Surface Preparation?
Surface preparation is the method used for treating the surface of material before applying any external coating. It is used to ensure that the coating properly stays on the material and does not cause any damage. Surface Preparation is very important for treating steel, plastic, aluminium and other similar materials before they are coated, painted, or lined. It is either done chemically or mechanically.
How is Surface Preparation used?
Zippia reviewed thousands of resumes to understand how surface preparation is used in different jobs. Explore the list of common job responsibilities related to surface preparation below:
- Apply appropriate surface preparation techniques for exteriors and interiors.
- Skilled in the preparation and application of paints, stains, and surface preparation materials to a wide variety of surfaces.
- Surface preparation and coating storage tanks, buildings, trailers, farm machinery and all types of industrial equipment.
- Hired seasonal painters and trained in surface preparation, paint application and safety.
- Experienced in all types of surface preparation.
- Surface preparations, Brush & Roll Painting
Are Surface Preparation skills in demand?
Yes, surface preparation skills are in demand today. Currently, 115 job openings list surface preparation skills as a requirement. The job descriptions that most frequently include surface preparation skills are painting contractor, finish painter, and sandblaster paint sprayer.
How hard is it to learn Surface Preparation?
Based on the average complexity level of the jobs that use surface preparation the most: painting contractor, finish painter, and sandblaster paint sprayer. The complexity level of these jobs is intermediate.
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What jobs can you get with Surface Preparation skills?
You can get a job as a painting contractor, finish painter, and sandblaster paint sprayer with surface preparation skills. After analyzing resumes and job postings, we identified these as the most common job titles for candidates with surface preparation skills.
Painting Contractor
- Caulking
- Drywall Repair
- General Contractors
- Payroll
- Surface Preparation
- Sheetrock
Sandblaster Paint Sprayer
- Safety Regulations
- Storage Tanks
- Painting Equipment
- Coats
- Surface Preparation
- Safety Procedures
Production Painter
- Safety Regulations
- Paint Guns
- Spray Guns
- Coats
- Surface Preparation
- Painting Operations
How much can you earn with Surface Preparation skills?
You can earn up to $41,303 a year with surface preparation skills if you become a painting contractor, the highest-paying job that requires surface preparation skills. Finish painters can earn the second-highest salary among jobs that use Python, $39,442 a year.
| Job title | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Painting Contractor | $41,303 | $20 |
| Finish Painter | $39,442 | $19 |
| Sandblaster Paint Sprayer | $39,542 | $19 |
| Production Painter | $32,193 | $15 |
| Painter Foreman | $47,687 | $23 |
Companies using Surface Preparation in 2025
The top companies that look for employees with surface preparation skills are Lam Research, Lockheed Martin, and Taco Bell. In the millions of job postings we reviewed, these companies mention surface preparation skills most frequently.
| Rank | Company | % of all skills | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lam Research | 25% | 82 |
| 2 | Lockheed Martin | 16% | 4,935 |
| 3 | Taco Bell | 10% | 30,659 |
| 4 | Northrop Grumman | 8% | 2,974 |
| 5 | Schuff Steel | 5% | 3 |
Departments using Surface Preparation
| Department | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Construction | $45,683 |