TL;DR

About 7,220 helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons nationally earn a mean of $49,936. Employment in the series shown fell about 9% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.6% annual decline.

Key Statistics

7,220
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$49,936
Average Salary

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons: what the data shows

Common questions about helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons?

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-3014.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 7,220 workers.

What does a helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons make?

BLS national median annual wage: $38,140 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $49,936 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$38,674
25th percentile$40,682
Median (50th)$47,074
75th percentile$52,221
90th percentile$59,746

What education do you need?

For Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).

These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Coordination, Speaking, Active Listening, Time Management, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, English Language, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -12.4%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -23.3%.

Current U.S. headcount: 7,220.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masonss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry7,22017.5%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only7,17017.4%
Construction6,71016.3%
Specialty Trade Contractors5,90014.3%
Building Finishing Contractors5,36013.0%
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors4,31010.4%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Graphic Designers214,260$61,300
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance3,320$50,280
Floral Designers40,160$36,120
Craft Artists4,370$38,480
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators10,000$60,560
Photographers51,230$42,520
Artists and Related Workers, All Other7,370$72,760

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons workforce.

Employment Over Time

7,220 Workforce in 2023

The Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$49,936 Average Wage

In 2023, Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons earned an average of $49,936.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Salary distribution for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Employment Growth Projections

-2.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

6,060 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -12.4%

5,307 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -23.3%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Wage Trends by Industry

16.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 1,540 employees, $50,225 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 350 employees, $46,518 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 320 employees, $47,741 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 260 employees, $53,299 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 190 employees, $47,918 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 140 employees, $56,144 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 70 employees, $67,497 avg wage
  • Modesto MSA: 50 employees, $49,040 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 40 employees, $45,046 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 30 employees, $42,926 avg wage
  • Salinas MSA: 30 employees, $51,583 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Diversity

Demographic information on Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons in 2023 was 7,220 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons in 2023 were Business Administration, Visual Arts, Fine Arts.

Common majors for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons workers.

Education level distribution for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Skills

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Speaking, Active Listening, Time Management, Critical Thinking.

Required skills for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons include Building and Construction, English Language, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics.

Knowledge areas required for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Extent Flexibility, Trunk Strength, Manual Dexterity, Static Strength.

Required abilities for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

Daily Activities

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information.

Most important work activities for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons.

About

Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

The average yearly wage for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons was $49,936 in 2023.

SOC Code

47-3014 - Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons reports an average salary of $49,936.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,220 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.