OSCA 361231

Painter

Overview

  • Employed persons

    42,000

  • Employment status

    71.3% Full time

    28.8% Part time

  • Median age

    41 years

  • Employment by sex

    5.9% Female

    94.1% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.5%

  • Main employing industry

    Construction

Indicator Painter Total employment
Employed persons 42,000 12,049,400
Median age 41 years 40 years
Full-time share 71.3% 64.2%
Part-time share 28.8% 35.8%
Female employment share 5.9% 48.5%
Male employment share 94.1% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.5% 2.2%
Main employing industry Construction Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Painters apply paint, varnish, wallpaper and other finishes to protect, maintain and decorate surfaces of buildings and structures.

What the occupation involves

  • Prepares surfaces by removing old paint and filling holes and cracks, and covers surfaces with drop cloths or masking tape to protect surrounding areas
  • Selects and mixes paints and stains to achieve desired colour and texture
  • Applies paint, varnish, wallpaper and other finishes using brushes, rollers, sprayers or other tools
  • Smooths and sands surfaces between coats of paint or varnish, and inspects finished work to ensure quality and adherence to client specifications
  • Collaborates with clients to determine colour schemes and finishes, and estimates materials and labour costs for painting projects

Common occupation titles

  • Painter and Decorator

Specialisations

  • House Painter
  • Spray Painter (Non-industrial)

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing may be required.

OSCA structure

Technicians and Trades Workers (3)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Painter Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Construction 90.8% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Manufacturing 1.3% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.6% Construction 8.9%
    Other Services 0.6% Education and Training 8.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.5% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Arts and Recreation Services 0.5% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.5% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Public Administration and Safety 0.5% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Retail Trade 0.3% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Education and Training 0.2% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      24.3%

    • Victoria

      28.2%

    • Queensland

      24.7%

    • South Australia

      7.5%

    • Tasmania

      2.6%

    • Northern Territory

      0.8%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.8%

    Painter Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 10,200 24.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 11,900 28.2% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 10,400 24.7% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 3,100 7.5% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 4,200 10.1% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 1,100 2.6% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 320 0.8% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 770 1.8% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Painter

    Total employment

    Age group Painter Total employment
    15–24 years 11.9% 14.3%
    25–34 years 24.1% 22.7%
    35–44 years 21.8% 22.3%
    45–54 years 21.0% 20.4%
    55–64 years 16.9% 15.3%
    65–74 years 4.1% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.2% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Painter Total employment
    Female 5.9% 48.5%
    Male 94.1% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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