AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9123.00
Will AI replace Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers?
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers: AI can already handle 1 of 9 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 9 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 9 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 9 of 9. 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 33% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 33% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 67% 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
- 7,940
- Median annual wage
- $41,600
- Middle half of earners
- $37,030 to $50,360
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.4%
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.
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure15
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure19
- Craft Artists 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure57
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure52
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure14
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers and AI
Will AI replace Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers?
AI already handles 1 of the 9 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 23 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 +1.4% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers?
23 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 9 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 9 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas. 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 33% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 67% 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 Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers, and what do they earn?
7,940 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $41,600 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.4% 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: Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. 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/painting-coating-and-decorating-workers
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