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Painting and Wall Covering Contractors

National industry · NAICS 238320

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Painting and Wall Covering Contractors is a U.S. industry in the NAICS classification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 206,710 workers across 68 detailed occupations in it. A typical worker earns around $52,069 a year (Singulariki estimate, see below).

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in interior or exterior painting or interior wall covering. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs. Illustrative Examples: Bridge painting Paperhanging or removal contractors House painting Ship painting contractors Paint and wallpaper stripping Wallpaper hanging and removal contractors Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in--

Employment is national May 2024 OEWS. "Typical pay" is Singulariki's own figure — the employment-weighted average of each occupation's national median wage — a rough center of the industry, not an official BLS number.

How exposed this industry is to AI

Weighting every occupation in this industry by its employment and its unified AI-exposure index (the OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" human-rated task overlap folded with the Felten/Raj/Seamans AIOE index), this industry sits in the Low band — 7th percentile across all industries.

Exposure measures how much of the work overlaps with what today's AI can do, not a prediction of automation; high-exposure industries are where AI is most likely to reshape tasks. Employment-weighted across 57 occupations that carry an exposure score. Compare every industry on the AI exposure hub.

How AI is actually used in this industry

Among measured Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations mapped to O*NET task statements (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these patterns are most associated with the occupations in this industry, weighted by its employment mix. They are shares of observed AI conversations — not of worker time, revenue, or what could be automated — and reflect one AI assistant's consumer sample, not all AI.

Signal coverage 23.2% of employment · 34/60 occupations have AEI task data
Augmentation vs. automation 37.6% working with AI · 39.4% handed to AI
Most common pattern Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction
Typical AI autonomy 3.2 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently

Tasks driving the signal

The task families that account for the most AI activity across this industry's occupations (employment × observed usage), each attributed to the occupation it comes from.

Task Occupation How Share of signal
Troubleshoot problems involving office equipment, such as computer hardware and software. Office Clerks, General Feedback loop 59.4%
Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Directive 6.6%
Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Directive 6.1%
Develop or maintain internal or external company Web sites. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Directive 4.6%
Process and prepare documents, such as business or government forms and expense reports. Office Clerks, General Directive 2.4%
Complete work schedules, manage calendars, and arrange appointments. Office Clerks, General Directive 1.4%
Participate in the work of subordinates to facilitate productivity or to overcome difficult aspects of work. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Iteration 1.1%
Create, maintain, and enter information into databases. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Directive 1.1%
Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers. Office Clerks, General Learning 1.1%
Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement. General and Operations Managers Directive 0.9%
Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive none 0.9%
Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive none 0.8%

Occupations behind the signal

The occupations whose AI-touched tasks contribute most to this industry's signal, by employment here.

Occupation Workers Share How they use AI
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 14,180 6.9% Directive
Office Clerks, General 6,860 3.3% Feedback loop
General and Operations Managers 6,600 3.2% Iteration
Cost Estimators 4,180 2.0% Iteration
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,370 1.6% Directive
Construction Managers 2,680 1.3% Iteration
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 2,210 1.1% Directive
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 1,980 1.0% Directive
Accountants and Auditors 860 0.4% Directive
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 790 0.4% Iteration
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 550 0.3% Learning
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants 500 0.2% Iteration

This rollup is only as complete as the occupation-task matches available for the industry; the coverage figure above is shown so sparse industries do not look falsely precise. AI exposure is not the same as replacement.

Skill & tool metabolism

What this industry's work actually runs on. Each figure is the share of the industry's workers in occupations that significantly rely on a skill, knowledge area, or ability (O*NET importance ≥ 3 of 5), or that use a tool category — its employment reach. This is a measure of how widespread a requirement is across the workforce, not how intensively any one worker uses it. Shares are independent and need not add to 100%.

Based on 97.9% of this industry's employment that maps to a detailed occupation with an O*NET skill profile.

Skills

Skill Employment reach Workers
Active Listening 94.4% 195,150
Critical Thinking 92.8% 191,900
Time Management 91.5% 189,100
Speaking 29.0% 59,880
Coordination 26.8% 55,340
Reading Comprehension 24.1% 49,810
Writing 21.9% 45,210
Monitoring 21.0% 43,360
Social Perceptiveness 20.5% 42,440
Judgment and Decision Making 19.1% 39,450
Service Orientation 18.5% 38,240
Complex Problem Solving 17.7% 36,500

Knowledge areas

Knowledge area Employment reach Workers
Customer and Personal Service 91.9% 190,060
Building and Construction 85.7% 177,240
English Language 24.8% 51,300
Administration and Management 24.2% 50,120
Mathematics 19.5% 40,210
Public Safety and Security 14.2% 29,370
Mechanical 14.0% 28,980
Administrative 12.8% 26,400
Design 12.4% 25,670
Economics and Accounting 8.7% 17,920
Computers and Electronics 8.4% 17,330
Production and Processing 5.4% 11,130

Abilities

Abilitie Employment reach Workers
Near Vision 97.9% 202,450
Oral Comprehension 97.7% 202,020
Oral Expression 97.4% 201,260
Deductive Reasoning 94.6% 195,570
Speech Clarity 93.8% 193,830
Written Comprehension 91.5% 189,110
Arm-Hand Steadiness 83.0% 171,610
Manual Dexterity 83.0% 171,570
Trunk Strength 75.9% 156,810
Multilimb Coordination 75.6% 156,370
Extent Flexibility 74.0% 152,920
Gross Body Equilibrium 71.2% 147,260

Tool categories

Tool category Employment reach Workers
Office suite software 99.6% 205,920
Project management software 99.0% 204,580
Spreadsheet software 98.5% 203,560
Word processing software 97.1% 200,620
Operating system software 93.2% 192,660
Data base user interface and query software 92.4% 191,100
Customer relationship management CRM software 89.5% 185,000
Graphics or photo imaging software 89.2% 184,370
Analytical or scientific software 86.7% 179,310
Electronic mail software 26.9% 55,610
Enterprise resource planning ERP software 24.7% 51,140
Presentation software 24.1% 49,890
Document management software 22.9% 47,350
Accounting software 21.3% 43,960
Computer aided design CAD software 19.4% 40,170

Reach = share of industry employment in occupations where the requirement is significant; it is not a per-worker usage or proficiency measure. Skill, knowledge, and ability importance is from O*NET; tool use is reported presence of a technology category.

Largest occupations

Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay AI task-overlap (horizontal) versus median pay (vertical), each as a percentile across all scored occupations, for 39 occupations in Painting and Wall Covering Contractors. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Roofers Tapers Construction Laborers Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Paperhangers Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Administrative Services Managers First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers Construction and Building Inspectors Occupational Health and Safety Specialists Managers, All Other Office Clerks, General Receptionists and Information Clerks Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Project Management Specialists Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Cost Estimators AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
The largest occupations in this industry with both an AI task-overlap score and a wage, plotted by task-overlap percentile (horizontal) and median-pay percentile (vertical). Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation.

The occupations that employ the most people in this industry, with their share of the industry's workforce and national median pay for the occupation (not industry-specific pay).

Occupation Workers Share National median pay
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 139,260 67.4% $48,170
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 14,180 6.9% $61,840
Office Clerks, General 6,860 3.3% $45,400
General and Operations Managers 6,600 3.2% $91,470
Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 4,310 2.1% $38,050
Cost Estimators 4,180 2.0% $71,310
Construction Laborers 3,920 1.9% $38,830
Carpenters 3,650 1.8% $51,540
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 3,370 1.6% $40,230
Construction Managers 2,680 1.3% $88,030
Project Management Specialists 2,290 1.1% $79,150
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 2,210 1.1% $52,000
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 1,980 1.0% $52,530
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 1,710 0.8% $65,390
Accountants and Auditors 860 0.4% $78,630
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 790 0.4% $60,330
Tapers 620 0.3% $46,400
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 570 0.3% $33,900
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 550 0.3% $50,540
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants 500 0.2% $73,550
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall 430 0.2% $50,040
Customer Service Representatives 410 0.2% $54,280
Managers, All Other 350 0.2% $100,970
Paperhangers 350 0.2% $57,330
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 310 0.1% $41,140
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks 280 0.1% $49,260
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 270 0.1% $70,600
Roofers 220 0.1% $74,090
Human Resources Specialists 210 0.1% $58,160
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 180 0.1% $59,920
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks 170 0.1% $58,860
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 170 0.1% $50,090
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 140 0.1% $53,990
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 140 0.1% $72,450
Administrative Services Managers 130 0.1% $92,320
Financial Managers 130 0.1% $128,020
Buyers and Purchasing Agents 110 0.1% $64,990
Receptionists and Information Clerks 110 0.1% $40,070
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles 110 0.1% $50,420
Construction and Building Inspectors 110 0.1% $64,140

Showing the top 40 of 68 occupations by employment.

Most distinctive occupations

The occupations most unusually concentrated in this industry compared with the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more common an occupation is here versus its economy-wide share (a value of 5 means five times as concentrated).

Occupation Concentration Workers
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 463.35× 139,260
Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 445.27× 4,310
Paperhangers 171.75× 350
Tapers 37× 620
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 17.82× 1,980
Cost Estimators 14.2× 4,180
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers 13.12× 14,180
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall 8.31× 430
Construction Managers 5.74× 2,680
Carpenters 3.9× 3,650
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles 3.3× 110
Construction Laborers 2.76× 3,920
Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers 2.45× 110
Office Clerks, General 2.04× 6,860
Project Management Specialists 1.7× 2,290
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 1.57× 270
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1.45× 3,370
General and Operations Managers 1.37× 6,600
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks 1.33× 280
Roofers 1.2× 220
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation

The Painting and Wall Covering Contractors workforce sits at the 7th percentile of AI task overlap — 206,710 U.S. workers

  • Weighting every occupation by its real share of Painting and Wall Covering Contractors employment, the industry's workforce ranks in the 7th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap — overlap with what AI can attempt, not a measure of jobs at risk.Eloundou et al. + Felten AIOE, weighted by BLS OEWS
  • The industry employs about 206,710 U.S. workers across 68 occupations.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
  • Employment-weighted typical annual pay is about $52,069.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
  • Of AI use observed across this industry's occupations, 38% looks like augmentation rather than automation — from a Claude.ai sample, not a census.Anthropic Economic Index
Copy the whole kit
The Painting and Wall Covering Contractors workforce sits at the 7th percentile of AI task overlap — 206,710 U.S. workers

• Weighting every occupation by its real share of Painting and Wall Covering Contractors employment, the industry's workforce ranks in the 7th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap — overlap with what AI can attempt, not a measure of jobs at risk. (Eloundou et al. + Felten AIOE, weighted by BLS OEWS)
• The industry employs about 206,710 U.S. workers across 68 occupations. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))
• Employment-weighted typical annual pay is about $52,069. (BLS OEWS (May 2024))
• Of AI use observed across this industry's occupations, 38% looks like augmentation rather than automation — from a Claude.ai sample, not a census. (Anthropic Economic Index)

Source: Singulariki — "Painting and Wall Covering Contractors". https://singulariki.com/industries/238320
Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom

Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 3, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Painting and Wall Covering Contractors." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; Census NAICS 2022; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/industries/238320

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Painting and Wall Covering Contractors. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/industries/238320

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-238320,
  title  = {Painting and Wall Covering Contractors},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; Census NAICS 2022; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/industries/238320}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.