Also called: Shipyard Painter
Sandblasts and paints ship hulls, decks, and tanks.
Painters work from lifts and scaffolds in dry dock, blasting off old paint and spraying new coatings that fight rust and barnacles.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. On-the-job training or shipyard apprenticeship.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Industrial Coatings (certificate).
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Robotic hull-painting crawlers exist at a few yards, but blasting and coating complex structures stays mostly manual.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at boatyards and shipyards or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Shop class, Chemistry, Physical education.
Official data: O*NET occupation 47-2141.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.