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Marine painter

Also called ship painter, boat painter, naval painter

Marine painters work in the shipbuilding industry and are responsible for completing the blasting, painting, hull washing and cleaning, scraping and protection jobs of all varieties as assigned by supervisors. They follow set guidelines, processes and procedures to ensure successful completion of work.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospectsShortage in 11 countries now. 18 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Building and related trades workers (excluding electricians)What does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Building and related trades workers (excluding electricians)What do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training.Building and related trades workers (excluding electricians)Will AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Painters and related workers · ILO

What you'd do

Painters and related workers · ILO
  • Cleaning and preparing walls and other surfaces of buildings for painting or wallpapering
  • Selecting and preparing paints to required colours by mixing pigments and additives
  • Applying or spraying paint, varnish, and similar materials to surfaces, fixtures and fittings of buildings
  • Measuring and hanging wallpaper or other fabrics on interior walls and ceilings
  • Applying paints, varnishes and stains to surfaces using brushes, rollers and sprays
Clean painting equipmentUse solventsDispose of hazardous wasteRemove paintPaint with a paint gun+ 16 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

11 EU countries are short of painters and related workers now, but fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as building and related trades workers (excluding electricians) in the EU
7.48m8.08m7.63m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,849,000 replacing leavers 394,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Building and related trades workers (excluding electricians)18
All jobs29
Right now
11 of 27 countries report a shortage of painters and related workers, 9 a surplus.
Painters and related workers · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in chemistry is the usual route.

Highest qualification of building and related trades workers (excluding electricians) (EU, 2025)
Degree 7%Vocational 50%General secondary 8%Basic schooling 35%
Fields that teach it
Chemistry · Building and civil engineering
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.13 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 5 tasks
Selecting and preparing paints to required colours by mixing pigments and additives0.19
Applying or spraying paint, varnish, and similar materials to surfaces, fixtures and fittings of buildings0.13
Applying paints, varnishes and stains to surfaces using brushes, rollers and sprays0.12
Measuring and hanging wallpaper or other fabrics on interior walls and ceilings0.10
Cleaning and preparing walls and other surfaces of buildings for painting or wallpapering0.09

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for painters and related workers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).