Paint sprayer
Paint sprayers apply coatings and protective finishes to cars, vans, motorbikes and other vehicles.
Also known as: Automotive refinisher, bodyshop worker, paint technician
- Starter salary£23,000 a year
- Experienced£45,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 48 a week
What you'll do
As a paint sprayer, you'll:
- set up spray equipment and prepare vehicle work areas
- match and mix colours based on manufacturers' technical data
- apply primer coats, main coats and finishes
- use paint drying methods and carry out quality checks
- clean and maintain spray equipment and paint booths
- follow health and safety guidelines
Working environment
You could work in a workshop.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to operate and control equipment
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to repair machines or systems
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to work well with your hands
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a paint sprayer
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
College
You could take a college course that will teach you some of the skills you'll need to get a trainee position.
Courses include:
- body and paint maintenance
- accident repair - paint
- vehicle accident repair paint principles
You might also be able to do paint spraying and finishing as part of an engineering course. Check with local colleges for more details.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply for an advanced apprenticeship with a paint spraying workshop, including:
- Accident Repair Technician Level 3
- Vehicle Damage Paint Technician Level 3
- Surface Finisher Level 3
These take between 2 and 3 years to complete and are a mix of on-the-job training and off-site study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Direct application
You can apply for jobs in vehicle paint spraying if you've got experience and a qualification in:
- vehicle accident and repair
- motor manufacturing
- engineering
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- get an IMI accreditation and move into senior paint technician roles
- become a shift supervisor, quality control inspector or workshop manager
- set up your own paint spraying business
- specialise in customising cars
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleVehicle body repairer
- Job roleMotor mechanic
- Job roleFast fit technician
- Job roleEngineering operative
- Job rolePainter and decorator
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0