Painter and decorator
Trade preparing surfaces and applying paint, wallpaper and decorative finishes to interior and exterior surfaces.
What a painter and decorator actually does
Painters typically start on site at 7am. The morning is mostly prep - sanding, filling, taping, masking. Most of the visible finish comes down to invisible prep work; rushed prep shows in the final coat. Once prep is done, the rhythm is cut in around edges with a brush, then roll the body of the wall, then move on. Domestic painters alternate between new-build work (whole houses on a builder's roster) and repaint work for existing homes. Commercial painters work on schools, offices, hospitals and high-rises - often on swing stages, scaffold or boom lifts. Heritage and decorative work pays well but is detailed and slow. Solvent fumes are a constant concern - good ventilation, masks and water-based paints have made the trade safer but it's still real. Painters knock off 3-4pm on domestic, later on commercial. Weather affects external work heavily: rain stops a job, heat speeds up the dry, cold below 10 degrees usually halts work.
Skills you'll use
- Surface preparation - sanding, filling, scraping, lead-paint test
- Reading colour charts and matching specifications
- Cutting in and rolling for even finish
- Spray-gun setup and operation
- Wallpaper hanging and removal
- Decorative finishes (faux, stenciling, metallics)
- Working at heights and EWP operation
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 with English
- 2Get a White Card (CPCWHS1001) for construction sites
- 3Sign a 3-year apprenticeship with a painting contractor or builder
- 4Complete the CPC30620 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating through TAFE
- 5Add a working-at-heights and EWP ticket for commercial work
- 6In QLD - apply for a QBCC trade contractor licence to work above the threshold
Where you can work
- Residential builders on new estates
- Commercial construction contractors on schools, hospitals and offices
- Strata and body-corporate maintenance firms
- Heritage restoration specialists
- Marine and industrial coating specialists
- Insurance restoration firms (fire and flood damage)
- Self-employed sole trader or small crew owner
Career progression
Typical stages and pay bands. Figures are sourced from Job Outlook, the Fair Work Building Industry Award, or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile.
- Apprentice3 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice painter, Third-year apprentice painterSalary band: $28,000 - $48,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: Domestic painter, Commercial painter, Specialist finish painterSalary band: $60,000 - $80,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Leading hand or foreman5-10 yearsTypical roles: Leading hand, Site foreman, EstimatorSalary band: $80,000 - $110,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Subcontractor or business owner8+ yearsTypical roles: Subcontract painting crew owner, Decorative finishes specialist
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You can stand the patience required to prep properly
- You have a steady hand and good eye for clean cut-in
- You're comfortable working at heights on scaffold and ladders
- You can deal with customers in their homes
- You can tolerate paint smells and solvent fumes for hours
This might not suit you if
- You have lung or skin sensitivity to paint and solvents
- You can't commit to 3 years of apprentice pay
- You're impatient and want to skip prep work
- You have an injury that limits arm-up overhead work
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | Not licensed in this state |
| VIC | Not licensed in this state |
| QLD | Queensland Building and Construction Commission (above $3,300) |
| SA | Not licensed in this state |
| WA | Not licensed in this state |
| TAS | Not licensed in this state |
| NT | Not licensed in this state |
| ACT | Not licensed in this state |