Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
47-3014.00
Updated 2025

Help painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or stucco masons by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

Sample of reported job titles: Painter Helper, Plaster Helper, Plaster Tender

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

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Technology Skills

Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Detailed Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams — 84% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 68% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team — 74% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Spend Time Standing — 68% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Contact With Others — 73% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 62% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 45% responded “More than half the time.”
  • Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions — 60% responded “Every day.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 48% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body — 41% responded “More than half the time.”
  • Time Pressure — 34% responded “Every day.”
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers — 37% responded “High responsibility.”
  • Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles — 30% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Telephone Conversations — 36% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Exposed to High Places — 30% responded “Every day.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 34% responded “Important results.”
  • Physical Proximity — 37% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals — 40% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers — 41% responded “Moderate responsibility.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 45% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 30% responded “Important.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities — 39% responded “Important.”
  • Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling — 40% responded “Less than half the time.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 92% responded “40 hours.”
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 29% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 31% responded “Important.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Education
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Related Experience
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include agricultural equipment operators, dishwashers, floor sanders and finishers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, baristas, and maids and housekeeping cleaners.
SVP Range
(Below 4.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
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Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Worker Requirements

Skills

Knowledge

  • Building and Construction — Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 68%
     
    Less than high school diploma required
  • 26%
     
    High school diploma or equivalent required
  • 4%
     
    Post-secondary certificate required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Gross Body Equilibrium — The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
  • Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Trunk Strength — The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Gross Body Coordination — The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Dynamic Strength — The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Stamina — The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.

Interests

Interest code: RC
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Work Styles

  • Dependability — A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2024)
$18.34 hourly, $38,140 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2024)
7,400 employees
Projected growth (2024-2034)
Slower than average (1% to 2%)
Projected job openings (2024-2034)
800
State trends
Top industries (2024)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 wage data and 2024-2034 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2024-2034). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

More Information

Professional Associations

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National Associations
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