Industrial Spray Painter
Kairehu Ahumahi
Alternative titles for this job
Industrial spray painters prepare, paint, powder-coat or resurface industrial parts and machinery and other items used in homes, offices and industries.
Pay
Industrial spray painters usually earn
$39K-$62K per year
Source: OneStaff, 2020 and careers.govt.nz research, 2021.
Job opportunities
Vocational PathwaysPay
Pay for industrial spray painters varies depending on skills and experience.
- Industrial spray painters usually earn between minimum wage and $62,000 a year.
Source: OneStaff, 'What’s My Rate? New Zealand Industrial and Trades Wage Report', 2020; and careers.govt.nz research, 2021.
- PAYE.net.nz website - use this calculator to convert pay and salary information
- Employment New Zealand website - information about minimum wage rates
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)
What you will do
Industrial spray painters may do some or all of the following:
- sand and clean surfaces to be painted
- decide which products to use for a particular surface
- prepare metals by treating them with chemicals or grit-blasting them
- apply an undercoat
- choose and mix paint
- spray paint or powder-coat objects
- bake powder-coat onto metal in ovens
- polish the finished product
- discuss treatment and painting requirements with customers.
Skills and knowledge
Industrial spray painters need to have knowledge of:
- paint types and colours
- up-to-date coating and preparation methods and technology
- spray-gun painting
- safety rules and procedures.
Working conditions
Industrial spray painters:
- usually work regular business hours
- work in paint shops and workshops or on clients' sites, including roads and rail bridges
- work in conditions that may be noisy and fumy.
Entry requirements
There are no specific requirements to become an industrial spray painter as you gain skills on the job.
Secondary education
No specific secondary education is required for this job, but construction and mechanical technologies, physics and maths are useful.
Personal requirements
Industrial spray painters need to be:
- accurate, with an eye for detail
- able to follow detailed instructions.
Useful experience
Useful experience for industrial spray painters includes:
- painting and decorating work
- vehicle spray painting
- work involving metals
- factory work.
Physical requirements
Industrial spray painters need to have normal colour vision to select the correct paint. They also should not have breathing problems or allergies, as they work with chemicals.
Find out more about training
- MITO
- 0800 88 21 21 - www.mito.org.nz
What are the chances of getting a job?
Chances of getting a job as an industrial spray painter are average for those with no experience, as employers prefer experienced workers.
Job chances are good for experienced spray painters due to:
- trained workers leaving New Zealand to work overseas for higher pay rates
- New Zealand manufacturers needing workers to work on machinery components for export.
Your best chance of getting a job is to work for an industrial spray painting company as a labourer. If you can show you have initiative, they may train you in spray painting.
According to the Census, 1,641 industrial spray painters worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Types of employers varied
Industrial spray painters work for:
- specialist paint shops
- industrial companies
- joinery manufacturing companies, making items such as cabinets and doors
- furniture-making companies.
Approximately 10 percent of industrial spray painters are self-employed.
Sources
- BRANZ and Pacifecon, 'National Construction Pipeline Report 4', July 2016, (www.branz.co.nz).
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, '2006-2014 Occupation Data', 2015.
- National Infrastructure Unit, 'The Thirty-Year New Zealand Infrastructure Plan 2015', accessed April 2017, (www.infrastructure.govt.nz).
- OneStaff, ‘An Update on Our 2020 What’s My Rate? Report Following Covid-19’, August 2020, (www.onestaff.co.nz).
- OneStaff, ‘What’s My Rate? New Zealand Industrial and Trades Wage Report – 2020’, accessed January 2021, (www.onestaff.co.nz).
- Stats NZ, '2018 Census Data', 2019.
- Tapp, G, national coatings manager, Intergroup, Careers New Zealand interview, April 2017.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)
Progression and specialisations
Industrial spray painters may progress to set up their own industrial spray painting business.
Industrial spray painters coat metals after treating them with chemicals
Last updated 4 February 2021