Painter & Decorator
Painters and Decorators work on a wide range of painting and decorating jobs, ranging from simple house renovations all the way to maintaining historic buildings.
The Role
- Working out what materials are needed for a particular project by taking measurements, or looking at job specifications or drawings
- Erecting scaffolding, cradles and ladders
- Putting out dustsheets to protect areas from dripping paint
- Removing old paint or paper by sanding or scraping, or by using blowtorches, liquid paint removers or steam strippers
- Preparing surfaces by fixing woodwork, filling or sealing holes, cracks and joins and washing them down to remove dust and grease.
- Applying paint, stains, varnishes and other finishes using brushes, rollers or spraying equipment.
- Wallpapering
Salary
- Newly trained painter and decorators can earn in the region of £17,000 - £20,000
- Trained with experience painter and decorators can earn in the region of £20,000 - £30,000
- Senior/Master Craft painter and decorators can earn in the region of £30,000 - £50,000
- Self-employed painter and decorators set their own pay rates.
Qualifications & Training
You can start your career as an apprentice for a painting and decorating business. You will usually train on the job, with day or block release at a local college or training centre. A Level 2 apprenticeship will take up to two years to complete, and you can then progress on to a Level 3 with an additional year of college and training.
Once you are qualified as a painter and decorator you can do more training in techniques specific to the business you’re working for. For example, you can work towards an NVQ Level 3 in decorative finishing and industrial painting. 
