AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-2141.00
Will AI replace Painters, Construction and Maintenance?
Painters, Construction and Maintenance: AI can already handle 1 of 17 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
Have a team in this role?
Get your free 10-role sample: send this role and up to nine others, and a founder sends a board-pack PDF within two business days.
Every task, scored
The 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Painters, Construction and Maintenance, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove old finishes by stripping, sanding, wire brushing, burning, or using water or abrasive blasting. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove fixtures such as pictures, door knobs, lamps, or electric switch covers prior to painting. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Use special finishing techniques such as sponging, ragging, layering, or faux finishing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Waterproof buildings, using waterproofers or caulking. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select and purchase tools or finishes for surfaces to be covered, considering durability, ease of handling, methods of application, and customers' wishes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Polish final coats to specified finishes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mix and match colors of paint, stain, or varnish with oil or thinning and drying additives to obtain desired colors and consistencies. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Cut stencils and brush or spray lettering or decorations on surfaces. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 17 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 17 of 17. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 6% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 6% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 94% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 225,190
- Median annual wage
- $49,400
- Middle half of earners
- $44,640 to $61,660
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +3.8%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure23
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure14
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure15
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure16
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators 61% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure52
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Painters, Construction and Maintenance and AI
Will AI replace Painters, Construction and Maintenance?
AI already handles 1 of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 19 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +3.8% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Painters, Construction and Maintenance?
19 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 17 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 17 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Painters, Construction and Maintenance tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 6% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 94% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Painters, Construction and Maintenance, and what do they earn?
225,190 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $49,400 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.8% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Painters, Construction and Maintenance. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/painters-construction-and-maintenance
Have a team in this role?
Get your free 10-role sample. Send this role and up to nine others, with no employee data, and a founder sends a PDF in board-pack format within two business days.
A founder replies within one business day.