* * * This is NOT a job offer * * * The purpose of this occupational guide is to provide you with useful information to help you make career decisions. If you are searching for a job, please go to CalJobs (for jobs in California)     OR      JOBcentral (for jobs nationwide)

More Occupational Guides

Automotive Painters

THE JOB

AUTOMOTIVE PAINTERS repaint automobiles, trucks, and buses that have been
repaired, and older vehicles that have lost their luster.  Others work on
production lines painting new motor vehicles.

To prepare a vehicle for repainting, painters or their helpers use power
sanders and sandpaper to remove the original paint or rust, and fill small
nicks and scratches with body putty.  They also remove or mask parts they do
not want painted, such as chrome trim, headlights, windows, and mirrors.
When painting only a portion of a vehicle, they figure how much paint will
be needed to cover the area.  They mix the paint to exactly match the
existing color and blend the paint to its correct thickness.  This may 
involve using simple arithmetic such as decimals and fractions and using a
viscosity meter to make sure the paint is the right consistency.

Painters use a spray gun to apply both the primer and final coats of paint,
which may be a natural or synthetic lacquer or enamel, or a polyurethane
coating.  They adjust the spray gun nozzle and, if necessary, the 
air-pressure regulator, according to the kind of paint being used.  To speed
drying, they may place the freshly painted vehicle under heat lamps or in a
special infrared oven.  After each coat of paint dries, they sand the
surface to remove any irregularities and to help the next coat adhere better.
This is the most time-consuming step.  After the final coat of paint has
dried, painters or their helpers may polish the newly painted surface. They
clean their spray guns, mixing paddles, and other equipment.  Painters must
also keep up with new products used in the manufacture and painting of cars,
and maintain records of materials used.

In production plants, painters may operate a washing tank to clean items
before painting.  An increasing number of factories use automatic painting
machinery and robots controlled by workers who adjust the nozzles of guns
used by the robots.  Painters also set up, keep the machinery running, and
check for imperfections.  They may spray paint the parts that the machine
misses or cannot reach.  As production lines become more automated, painters
must learn to handle machinery such as electrostatic applicators and powder-
type painting systems.


WORKING CONDITIONS

Automotive Painters work indoors where they may be exposed to dangerous
fumes from paint and paint-mixing ingredients.  In most shops, however, they
work in special ventilated booths that protect them from these hazards.
They also must wear masks or respirators for additional protection.
Painters must bend and stoop to reach all parts of the vehicle, and usually
have to stand for long periods of time. Production painters may feel under
pressure to keep up with the speed of the assembly lines; the work can be
monotonous.

Union membership rates vary.  Those employed by large auto dealers, trucking
companies, and bus lines are more likely to be covered by union contracts.
In rural areas, employers are less likely to be unionized.  Throughout the
state, most small, independent repair and production painting shops are not
unionized.  Most union painters in California are members of locals of the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union or the
International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Workers.


EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

The following information is from the California Projections of Employment
published by the Labor Market Information Division.

Estimated number of workers in 1993             4,540
Estimated number of workers in 2005             5,590
Projected Growth 1993-2005                       23 %
Estimated openings due to separations by 2005   1,510

(These figures do not include self-employment or openings due to turnover.)

Employment for this group of painters is projected to grow about as fast the
average for all occupations through 2005.  Most openings occur because
experienced painters retire or leave the occupation.

During the next few years, smaller businesses will continue to close because
they will not be able to afford the necessary equipment to comply with new
governmental rules and regulations.  Employers maintain, however, that
skilled Automotive Painters are in demand and can expect relatively steady
work.  Inexperienced applicants will face keen competition unless they have
appropriate training or a demonstrated aptitude for the job.

Another factor which will affect the demand for qualified painters is the
increasing number of lighter vehicles that are prone to greater damage in
collisions.

Most painters work in shops that specialize in automotive repairs or repair
shops of automobile and truck dealers.  Some work for organizations that
maintain and repair their own fleets of motor vehicles, such as trucking
companies and bus lines; others are employed by auto and truck 
manufacturers.  These businesses are concentrated in metropolitan areas.


WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS

Wages for painters average $15.00 per hour.  Helpers and maskers earn less.
Many painters receive a commission based on the number of vehicles painted.
Under this method, the employer frequently guarantees commissioned employees
a minimum weekly salary.  Painters usually work a 40-hour week.

Fringe benefits vary.  Firms may offer profit-sharing, bonuses, uniforms,
vacation, holidays, sick leave, retirement, and health insurance benefits.


ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING

Many Automotive Painters start as helpers and gain their skills informally
by working with experienced painters.  Beginning helpers usually remove
trim, clean and sand surfaces to be painted, mask surfaces that are not to
be painted, and polish finished work.  As helpers gain experience, they
progress to more complicated tasks, such as mixing paint to achieve a good
match and using spray guns to apply primer or final coats to small areas.
Becoming skilled in all aspects of automotive painting usually requires
three to four years of on-the-job training.  Some painters are enrolled in
apprenticeship programs, which generally last four years.  They receive
training on the job and formal instruction in areas such as shop safety
practices, proper use of equipment, and blending colors.  Courses in
automobile body repair, offered by high schools, community colleges, and
vocational schools, are helpful.  Automobile dealers and production painting
shops generally require at least one to two years of experience even for
helper or apprentice positions.

Painters should have good health, eyesight (which may be corrected), and the
ability to match colors.  The latter is a very important ability. A
mechanical aptitude, knowledge of basic arithmetic, manual dexterity, and
the ability to do precision work are required.  Employers look for workers
who are motivated to learn, and who will be careful in the use and 
maintenance of tools and equipment.  Completion of high school generally 
is not required, but is usually an advantage.


ADVANCEMENT

Some experienced Automotive Painters may advance to supervisory positions.
Experienced painters with enough money may open their own shops.


FINDING THE JOB

Applicants seeking work as Automotive Painters should apply directly to
potential employers, and, if a union member, register with the union local.
Inexperienced applicants often find their best opportunities with auto body
shops and manufacturing companies.  Some employers recruit trainees from
training programs.  Getting to know people working in the field is helpful,
as many employers ask their employees for referrals when seeking new
workers.  Applicants should also check the newspaper classified ads and
register with the California Employment Development Department Job Service.


ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Automotive Service Industry Association
25 Northwest Point #425
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1035
(847) 228-1310
www.aftmkt.com/asia

Automotive Service Association
P.O. Box 929
Bedford, TX 76095-0929
(817) 283-6205
www.asashop.org 

National Automobile Dealers Association
8400 Westpark Drive 
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 821-7000
www.nada.org

RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES

  Automobile Mechanics               No.  24
  Automotive Body Repairers          No.  68
  Painters & Paperhangers            No. 148

OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES

DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th Ed., 1991)
  Painter, Automotive            845.381-014

OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System
  Painters, Transportation Equipment  929470


Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
        Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
        (916) 262-2162.