jobfacts

Painter and decorator

Painters and decorators — SOC 2020 5323

Painters and decorators use traditional and modern methods to apply or repair paint, varnish, wallpaper and other protective and decorative materials to interior and exterior walls and surfaces, paint designs on wood, glass, metal, plastics and other materials, and stain, wax and French polish wood surfaces by hand.

Also calledHouse decoratorWood stainerCeiling specialistContractorPainterCeiling texturerand 37 more titles
Typical full-time pay£32,8002025 Provisional
People in the job86,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month1,100↓ 5.9%on last year · 165th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time painter and decorators earn between £28,500 and £39,000 a year.

What full-time painter and decorators earn, 2025
£32,800 typical£23,600lowest 10%£28,50025%£39,00075%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£28,500–£39,000)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£23,600
Lowest 20% earn less than£27,900
25%£28,500
Median£32,800
75%£39,000
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
More than half (74%) of painter and decorators work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed painter and decorators earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £32,800
Yorkshire and The Humber!£34,200
North East!£32,500
South East!£32,000
Scotland!£31,900
East of England!£31,700
West Midlands!£31,600
East Midlands!£30,800
Wales!£29,100
South West!£28,200
North WestNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £32,800
Yorkshire and The Humber£34,200 (small sample)
North East£32,500 (small sample)
South East£32,000 (small sample)
Scotland£31,900 (small sample)
East of England£31,700 (small sample)
West Midlands£31,600 (small sample)
East Midlands£30,800 (small sample)
Wales£29,100 (small sample)
South West£28,200 (small sample)
North WestNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £28,600
  • 2024 £32,000
  • 2025 Provisional£32,800
↑ 15% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,100 jobs for painter and decorators are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,766
Jul 20261,917
Jun 20261,192
May 20261,238
Apr 20261,124
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026705
Jan 2026774
Dec 2025385
Nov 2025921
Oct 20251,208
Sept 20251,353
Aug 20251,774
Jul 20251,865
Jun 20251,667
May 20251,610
Apr 20251,085
Mar 20251,108
Feb 2025906
Jan 2025715
Dec 2024405
Nov 2024825
Oct 20241,136
Sept 20241,382
Aug 20242,110
Jul 20241,812
Jun 20241,480
May 20241,558
Apr 20241,104
Mar 2024660
Feb 2024639
Jan 2024668
Dec 2023483
Nov 2023548
Oct 2023715
Sept 2023893
Aug 20231,159
Jul 20231,075
Jun 20231,918
May 20231,946
Apr 20231,307
Mar 20231,418
Feb 20231,303
Jan 20231,628
Dec 2022972
Nov 20221,961
Oct 20222,166
Sept 20222,140
Aug 20222,488
Jul 20221,572
Jun 20221,446
May 20221,297
Apr 2022919
Mar 20221,237
Feb 20221,149
Jan 20221,519
Dec 2021914
Nov 20211,195
Oct 20211,404
Sept 20212,016
Aug 20212,063
Jul 20212,903
Jun 20212,397
May 20212,473
Apr 20212,174
Mar 20212,285
Feb 20211,004
Jan 20211,244
Dec 2020883
Nov 20201,017
Oct 20201,330
Sept 20201,518
Aug 20201,586
Jul 20201,066
Jun 2020669
May 2020480
Apr 2020573
Mar 2020768
Feb 20201,123
Jan 2020954
Dec 2019763
Nov 20191,299
Oct 20191,386
Sept 20191,639
Aug 20191,914
Jul 20191,804
Jun 20191,369
May 20191,363
Apr 2019834
Mar 2019980
Feb 2019788
Jan 2019934
Dec 2018536
Nov 20181,047
Oct 20181,136
Sept 20181,253
Aug 20181,724
Jul 20181,444
Jun 20181,469
May 2018980
Apr 2018897
Mar 2018864
Feb 2018943
Jan 20181,274
Dec 20171,838
Nov 20171,448
Oct 20172,697
Sept 20171,230
Aug 20172,339
Jul 20171,925
Jun 20172,023
May 20171,818
Apr 20171,525
Mar 20171,413
Feb 2017905
Jan 2017837
Is there a shortage of painter and decorators?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
45%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for skilled construction and building trades, which includes painter and decorators. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London528
Manchester76
Birmingham71
Bristol, City of62
City of Edinburgh62
Glasgow City62
Leeds54
Somerset39
Cardiff38
Nottingham37
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where painter and decorators are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 17 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Philippines, Poland, China, ranking it 192nd of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of painter and decorators
7.3%!
14%!
22%!
22%!
29%
5.4%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–247.3% (small sample)
25–3414% (small sample)
35–4422% (small sample)
45–5422% (small sample)
55–6429%
65+5.4% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!9.1%
Higher education below degree!1.3%
A levels or equivalent39%
GCSEs or equivalent24%
Other qualifications!12%
No qualifications11%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent9.1% (small sample)
Higher education below degree1.3% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent39%
GCSEs or equivalent24%
Other qualifications12% (small sample)
No qualifications11%

Main employers: painting and glazing (53%), specialised design activities (19%), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (13%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
9.1%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 39%
Apprenticeships
2
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 2 years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds
Self-employed
74%
of people in the job

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

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

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
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 about this route
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:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Work your way up

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.

What you’ll need

  • be able to cope with working at height

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
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.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for painter and decorator. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Finishing trades foundation apprenticeshipFoundation apprenticeship2
Onsite constructionT Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • erects working platform or scaffolding up to five metres in height
  • prepares surfaces by cleaning, sanding and filling cracks and holes with appropriate filler
  • applies primer, undercoat and finishing coat(s) using brush, roller, or spray equipment
  • mixes adhesive or removes self-adhesive backing and positions covering material on wall, matching up patterns where appropriate and removing wrinkles and air bubbles by hand or brush
  • stains, waxes and French polishes wood surfaces by hand

Skills

  • clean painting equipment
  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • follow safety procedures when working at heights
  • inspect construction supplies
  • paint surfaces
  • protect surfaces during construction work
  • snap chalk line
  • transport construction supplies
  • use measurement instruments
  • use safety equipment in construction
  • work ergonomically
  • work safely with chemicals
  • advise on construction materials
  • answer requests for quotation

Knowledge

  • types of paint
  • art history

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled construction and building trades, a group of 12 jobs that includes painter and decorators.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 14,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035374,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.