A journeyman painter preps and paints the inside and outside of customers' homes and refinishes kitchen cabinets, working on their own. They decide what each surface needs, cut clean lines by hand, spray when the job calls for it, and leave each room ready for the family that night.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
The Journeyman Painter is responsible for executing high-quality painting projects with an emphasis on skilled craftsmanship, surface preparation, and finishing. This role contributes to the overall success of the company by ensuring that every project meets rigorous quality standards and customer expectations while operating under minimal supervision.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Perform skilled painting work on both interior and exterior structures.
Prepare surfaces through cleaning, sanding, and priming prior to application.
Execute detail-oriented finishing techniques to ensure a flawless appearance.
Maintain and operate painting tools and equipment safely and efficiently.
Adhere to project specifications and quality standards on every job.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct on-site evaluations to determine job requirements and surface conditions.
Mix and match paint colors according to customer specifications and project needs.
Communicate with customers to clarify project details and ensure their satisfaction.
Complete daily checklists to monitor progress and quality of work performed.
Collaborate with team members to address any unforeseen issues during projects.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue per hour: $150.
Callback percentage: <5%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars.
Quality Completion Rate: >95%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent with relevant technical training in painting techniques.
Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience in professional painting.
Excellent attention to detail and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Strong communication and time management skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in commercial or residential painting projects.
Background in surface preparation techniques for various materials.
Familiarity with the latest painting technologies and eco-friendly materials.
Previous work experience in the home services industry.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and work at heights using ladders or scaffolding.
Prolonged periods of standing, bending, and reaching during job sites.
Capability to work in environments with varying temperatures, including outdoor settings.
Manual dexterity and coordination required for detailed painting tasks.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Occasional overtime or weekend work based on project deadlines.
Minimal travel required between job sites.
On-call responsibilities for emergency repair jobs may be expected.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range: $20 - $30 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.
Performance bonuses based on project quality and customer satisfaction metrics.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
Additional benefits include a 401(k) plan and paid time off.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a collaborative and growth-driven environment where every team member is valued for their contributions. We invest in our employees’ development and encourage innovation and excellence. Join a company that is committed to quality, customer satisfaction, and the personal and professional growth of its workforce.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
House painting brings old lead paint, tall ladders near the service wires, cabinet doors that should look factory-finished, and the weather on every exterior.
Older homes change the prep rules
On a pre-1978 home, EPA's lead rule sets how most prep is done unless testing shows no lead paint. Outside, the crew shuts doors and windows within 20 feet and lays plastic on the ground at least 10 feet past the work. No torches or open flames on painted surfaces. A power sander or grinder must have a shroud hooked to a HEPA vacuum, and heat guns are allowed only below 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. A painter who already works this way is worth more on older houses. Source: 40 CFR 745.85: Lead-safe work practice standards (Cornell LII).
Ladders near overhead wires
Exterior repaints put extension ladders against gutters and near the wires running into the house. OSHA says a ladder needs nonconductive side rails if it, or the person on it, could contact exposed energized electrical equipment. Fiberglass rails meet that rule; aluminum ones don't. When a ladder is the way onto a roof, its rails must reach at least 3 feet above the roof edge, or, if it's too short, it must be tied off at the top with a grab rail added. Source: OSHA: Ladders in construction (29 CFR 1926.1053).
Cabinets are spray work
Cabinet refinishing means degreasing, sanding, priming, and spraying doors and boxes for a smooth finish with no brush marks. If you require respirators for that spraying, or they're needed to protect the painter, OSHA requires a written program and a medical evaluation first. Anyone wearing a tight-fitting mask must pass a fit test before using it, then again each year. Source: OSHA: Respiratory protection (29 CFR 1910.134, applied to construction by 1926.103).
Weather and dry times run the exterior day
Outside, the painter reads the conditions as much as the wall. Morning dew, full sun on dark siding and rain in the forecast all change what gets painted when. The label and the product data sheet give the lowest temperature for applying the paint and the wait before a second coat. A good journeyman follows them and moves to the shady side or a porch ceiling instead of painting wet wood.
Residential vs. commercial painter
Both prep and paint for a living. The work shifts when the customer is a builder or property manager instead of a family.
Topic
Residential
Commercial
Where the work is
Lived-in homes, often with the family there
Offices, stores, apartment buildings and new construction, often after hours
Who picks the finish
The homeowner's colors and sheens, confirmed before the job
The architect's specs and finish schedule
Main equipment
Brushes, rollers, extension ladders, and sprayers for exteriors and cabinets
Airless sprayers on large areas, lifts and scaffolds
Pace
A house in a few days, with lots of cutting in and furniture to protect
Big wall areas, timed around other trades
Extra rules
EPA lead-safe practices on pre-1978 homes
Prevailing wage rates on federally funded public jobs
How much journeyman painters make
The closest BLS group for journeyman painters is painters, construction and maintenance. Painters, construction and maintenance who work for painting contractors earned a median of $23.48 an hour ($48,830 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $49,400 median for painters, construction and maintenance in all industries. About 139,260 of the 225,190 painters, construction and maintenance in that survey work for painting contractors.
Hourly pay, per the template, with bonuses for quality and customer ratings. Some companies pay a crew bonus when a job beats its budgeted hours without callbacks, or pay by the job instead. Overtime still applies either way, as the FAQ below explains.
Painting contractors
$48,830$48,830 median Middle half $44,860–$60,420 10th–90th $37,450–$76,290
All industries
$49,400$49,400 median Middle half $44,640–$61,660 10th–90th $37,440–$78,810
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Painting contractors
$37,450
$44,860
$48,830
$60,420
$76,290
All industries
$37,440
$44,640
$49,400
$61,660
$78,810
BLS reports residential and commercial painting contractors together. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Cuts a straight line at ceilings and along trim by hand
Spots peeling, chalking, mildew, glossy or damp surfaces and preps each one the right way
Sprays trim, siding and cabinet doors without runs or overspray
Sets ladders and planks safely on two-story exteriors
Answers homeowners' questions and leaves each room tidy
Finishes a room or a side of the house to standard with no one checking in
Teach these on the job
Your lead-safe setup and cleanup, if they aren't certified
Your cabinet process and products
Your prep standard for each kind of surface
Your job app, photos and daily checklist
How you label hardware and leftover paint for the customer
A typical split: the painter brings brushes, a 5-in-1 tool, a sanding block and a caulk gun, and the company owns the airless and fine-finish sprayers, tall ladders, staging and HEPA vacuums for lead work. In the ad, name the paint lines you use, say whether cabinet refinishing is part of the work, and list what the painter needs to own.
Journeyman painter interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Base these on a season of your own finished jobs. Group cabinet work, interiors and exteriors apart, because each moves at its own rate.
Revenue per hour
Labor revenue from each job the painter worked, divided by their hours on it, from your estimates and timesheets. Use the job's sold labor price, not paint or materials.
Callback percentage
Homeowner calls about this painter's work, such as peeling, missed spots or drips, counted against all jobs they worked. Use one warranty window for every painter so the numbers compare.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Homeowner ratings from jobs this painter worked, pulled together monthly. Look for comments about drop cloths, moved furniture or the finish, since those point to the painter rather than the sales rep.
Quality Completion Rate
Rooms or sides of the house that pass the crew leader's walk with no redo, compared with everything the painter finished. Log what failed so training targets it.
Career path
Apprentice painterMasks, scrapes and sands while learning to cut and roll.
Journeyman painterPaints rooms, exteriors and cabinets on their own.
Crew leaderSets up each job, splits the work and owns the finish.
Own painting businessSome go on to subcontract or start their own company.
Ask your state contractor board, because rules vary. In California, for example, painting contractors are licensed in the C-33 class, and the person who qualifies for that license must show four or more years of experience at journey level, or as a foreman, contractor or owner-builder. The federal lead rule reaches each painter too: on pre-1978 homes it covers, anyone whose work disturbs paint must be a certified renovator or have documented training from one.
How much does a journeyman painter make?
Painters, construction and maintenance who work for painting contractors earned a median of $23.48 an hour ($48,830 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $44,860 and $60,420 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does overtime apply to painters on a piece rate or production rate?
Yes. Federal rules allow piece rates and production pay, but the week's overtime is figured from all of it. Total the piece earnings plus other pay, such as production bonuses, and divide by every hour worked that week. That's the regular rate. Each hour over 40 then earns half of it again on top. State law may add more.
Should a journeyman painter know how to spray?
For a residential company, yes, at least the basics. Airless sprayers speed up exteriors, empty rooms and new trim, and cabinet work depends on a fine-finish sprayer. Ask what tip sizes they use on trim and on siding, how they mask a room for spraying, and how they clean the pump at day's end. In a furnished home, brush and roller still do most of the interior work.
How is a journeyman painter different from a crew leader?
A journeyman paints all day and owns the quality of their own rooms. A crew leader paints too, but also sets up the job, splits the work, talks with the homeowner, watches the budgeted hours, and may be the job's certified renovator. Before promoting a journeyman, give them one small job to run, such as a single-room repaint, and watch how they handle the homeowner and the paperwork.
