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Painter and decorator

Alternative titles for this job include

Painters and decorators apply paint, wallpaper and other finishes to the inside and outside of buildings.

Average salary (a year)

£17,000 Starter

to

£32,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

42 to 44 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends occasionally

Meet Lee

Lee has been a decorator for 27 years and does a wide range of jobs for a housing association.

1 minute 30 second watch

View transcript

Hi, I'm Lee Murray. I'm a multi-skilled operative, mainly a decorator. I work for Yorkshire Housing.

I qualified as a decorator. I went to college at 18. I did it full time for a year, qualified when I was 19 and then I haven’t looked back. I’ve been a decorator for 27 year now.

It can vary. If I'm decorating, I'll be setting me, getting property prepped up, filling, taping up. You know, masking, dust sheeting everything up. And then I'll go in there and spray it, spray it all white. Stain blocking. You know, stuff like that. Making it back to a brand new property, basically.

I do a little bit of floor laying. I'm learning how to do joinery and plumbing. If there's all else I can put my hand to, I will.

Good communication skills in my job. Especially when you're dealing with a lot of tenants and what colours they want and what the desired finish they want and you know, stuff like that.

Know how to paint really. Know how to hold a brush, Know how to load the roller, know how to lay it off. Know how to fill, know how to rub down. It's a lot of intricate things in decorating. And people don't see that. Doing it to a professional level, there’s certain skills you need, like caulking, especially easy-fill and knowing how to rub it down and how to get it smooth and maybe plastering, you know, get that right and then paint will sit on it right.

Yeah get into it. If you feel like you're artistic or you know good with your hands, it's very good to get into building trades. You know, you don't have to be a decorator. You can be a joiner, plumber, art excer, roofer. There's several jobs in building world. So if you think you're good at one stuff have a go at it.

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

College

You could take a college course like:

  • Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
  • T Level in On Site Construction

This will teach you some of the skills you'll need and help you to find a job as a trainee with a decorating company.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Finishing Trades Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Painter and Decorator Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Craft Painter and Decorator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could work as a painter and decorator's labourer or 'mate'. Your employer may give you the chance to take further training on the job to become a qualified painter and decorator.

More Information

Registration

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Painting and Decorating Association for professional development and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out about careers in painting and decorating from Go Construct.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • customer service skills
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • business management skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

  • be able to cope with working at height

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a painter and decorator, you could:

  • work out the amount of paint or wall covering needed for a job
  • lay down dust sheets and prepare materials
  • strip off old wallpaper or layers of paint
  • fill holes and cracks and make sure surfaces are level
  • cover surfaces with primer and undercoat
  • mix paint to the right shade, often using computerised colour-matching equipment
  • apply coats of paint or hang wallpaper
  • add special finishes like stains, varnishes or marbling
  • tidy up after finishing, and clean your tools

Working environment

You could work at a client's home or at a client's business.

Your working environment may be at height.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a team supervisor or move into related areas like estimating, contract management, interior or set design, or heritage conservation.

You could set up your own business.

You could also move into apprentice training or teaching in a further education college.

Find out more about teaching in further education from Teach in further education.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Apprentice Painter & Decorator

  • Wage: £14,800 a year Annually
  • Location: Heyford Park, Bicester,, Oxfordshire

Apprentice Painter & Decorator

  • Wage: £15,311.40 a year Annually
  • Location: Stockton On Tees
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Painting & Decorating

  • Provider: NORTH KENT COLLEGE
  • Start date: 07 September 2026
  • Location: Gravesend

Painting and Decorating

  • Provider: SPECIALIST TRADE COURSES LIMITED
  • Start date: Flexible
  • Location: Harold Wood
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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