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Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
5 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for SIGN WRITER, HAND (time-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| DECORATOR (Glass Mfg) | 0100 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| LINER (Pottery & Porc) | 0279 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| PAINTER, HAND (Any Ind) | 0383 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| SCREEN PRINTER | 0520 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| SIGN WRITER, HAND | 0518 | Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What painting, coating, and decorating workers earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for painting, coating, and decorating workers ($61,210) and South Dakota the lowest ($31,550), across the 37 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $61,210 | $29.43 | 90 |
| Nevada | $60,190 | $28.94 | Not published |
| Colorado | $54,070 | $25.99 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $54,070 | $26.00 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $52,160 | $25.08 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $50,720 | $24.38 | 50 |
| Ohio | $49,080 | $23.60 | 230 |
| Missouri | $48,560 | $23.34 | 140 |
| New York | $48,510 | $23.32 | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $48,330 | $23.24 | 230 |
| Maryland | $47,320 | $22.75 | 50 |
| Virginia | $47,090 | $22.64 | 290 |
| Iowa | $46,670 | $22.44 | 100 |
| Georgia | $46,310 | $22.27 | 60 |
| Idaho | $45,050 | $21.66 | Not published |
| South Carolina | $43,820 | $21.07 | 140 |
| Minnesota | $43,630 | $20.98 | 150 |
| North Carolina | $42,960 | $20.66 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $42,220 | $20.30 | 200 |
| Illinois | $41,960 | $20.18 | 180 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,660 | $20.03 | 180 |
| California | $41,600 | $20.00 | Not published |
| Indiana | $41,350 | $19.88 | 490 |
| Arkansas | $40,310 | $19.38 | 50 |
| Kansas | $39,470 | $18.97 | 90 |
| Michigan | $38,500 | $18.51 | 140 |
| Utah | $38,430 | $18.48 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $38,320 | $18.42 | 50 |
| Florida | $37,440 | $18.00 | 720 |
| Wyoming | $37,090 | $17.83 | 60 |
| Arizona | $37,030 | $17.80 | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $36,780 | $17.68 | 100 |
| Tennessee | $35,540 | $17.09 | 200 |
| Montana | $34,790 | $16.72 | 40 |
| Mississippi | $33,330 | $16.03 | 70 |
| Texas | $32,430 | $15.59 | 550 |
| South Dakota | $31,550 | $15.17 | 40 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).