jobfacts

Vehicle paint technicians

SOC 2020 5233

Vehicle paint technicians prepare, repair and refinish vehicle surfaces using modern paint systems, coatings, wraps and associated technologies to restore or enhance vehicle appearance, protection and functionality.

Also calledRefinisherSprayerGraphic applicatorRefinishing technicianBody sprayerPaint technicianand 21 more titles
Typical full-time pay£34,5002025 Provisional
People in the job16,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month194↓ 0.8%on last year · 347th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time vehicle paint technicians earn, 2025
£34,500 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£34,500
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £34,500
East Midlands!£42,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£42,300
East of England!£31,100
North West!£24,300
North EastNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £34,500
East Midlands£42,300 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£42,300 (small sample)
East of England£31,100 (small sample)
North West£24,300 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £33,200
  • 2024 £33,300
  • 2025 Provisional£34,500
↑ 3.9% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 194 jobs for vehicle paint technicians are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026184
Jul 2026219
Jun 2026207
May 2026187
Apr 2026172
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026192
Jan 2026206
Dec 202586
Nov 2025221
Oct 2025224
Sept 2025234
Aug 2025250
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025222
Apr 2025167
Mar 2025201
Feb 2025167
Jan 2025182
Dec 202497
Nov 2024166
Oct 2024231
Sept 2024237
Aug 2024231
Jul 2024328
Jun 2024224
May 2024296
Apr 2024222
Mar 2024171
Feb 2024156
Jan 2024209
Dec 2023128
Nov 2023170
Oct 2023149
Sept 2023109
Aug 2023208
Jul 2023186
Jun 2023259
May 2023229
Apr 2023184
Mar 2023181
Feb 2023171
Jan 2023216
Dec 2022187
Nov 2022180
Oct 2022241
Sept 2022227
Aug 2022248
Jul 2022211
Jun 2022199
May 2022242
Apr 2022169
Mar 2022215
Feb 2022185
Jan 2022219
Dec 2021134
Nov 2021181
Oct 2021197
Sept 2021172
Aug 2021194
Jul 2021207
Jun 2021212
May 2021152
Apr 2021128
Mar 2021147
Feb 202187
Jan 2021122
Dec 202081
Nov 202093
Oct 2020168
Sept 2020158
Aug 2020123
Jul 202096
Jun 202062
May 202046
Apr 202046
Mar 2020116
Feb 2020178
Jan 2020157
Dec 2019110
Nov 2019165
Oct 2019186
Sept 2019169
Aug 2019154
Jul 2019212
Jun 2019187
May 2019209
Apr 2019149
Mar 2019156
Feb 2019154
Jan 2019200
Dec 2018134
Nov 2018181
Oct 2018225
Sept 2018180
Aug 2018185
Jul 2018195
Jun 2018181
May 2018143
Apr 2018115
Mar 2018156
Feb 2018157
Jan 2018189
Dec 2017129
Nov 2017189
Oct 2017215
Sept 2017195
Aug 2017196
Jul 2017213
Jun 2017215
May 2017246
Apr 2017230
Mar 2017240
Feb 2017183
Jan 2017205
Is there a shortage of vehicle paint technicians?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
44%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for vehicle trades, which includes vehicle paint technicians. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London46
Birmingham15
Manchester12
North Northamptonshire12
Peterborough9
Coventry8
Glasgow City8
Tonbridge and Malling8
Doncaster7
Plymouth6
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where vehicle paint technicians are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 41 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from Philippines, Nepal, South Africa, ranking it 149th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of vehicle paint technicians
n/p
n/p
n/p
39%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–5439% (small sample)
55–64Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent–
Not published
Higher education below degree!7.9%
A levels or equivalent!46%
GCSEs or equivalent!45%
Other qualifications!19%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalentNot published
Higher education below degree7.9% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent46% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent45% (small sample)
Other qualifications19% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (92%).

How to get in

Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 46%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
3 years
typically

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • applies masking material to protect areas not to be coated and removes any external fixtures
  • consults vehicle colour code, chooses appropriate paint or mixes paint to achieve desired consistency and colour
  • uses hand or electrostatic spray gun to coat surfaces, adjusting nozzle and pressure valves of the gun as required
  • applies vinyl stickers and wraps to the bodywork of vehicles
  • removes masking materials and refits external fittings after completion of spraying
  • cleans and maintains spray equipment, protective clothing and spraying booth

Skills

  • apply health and safety standards
  • apply preliminary treatment to workpieces
  • dispose of hazardous waste
  • ensure equipment availability
  • keep records of work progress
  • monitor painting operations
  • sand between coats
  • troubleshoot
  • wear appropriate protective gear
  • tend dip tank
  • analyse the need for technical resources
  • apply colour coats
  • apply spraying techniques
  • check paint consistency

Knowledge

  • industrial paint
  • quality standards
  • lacquer paint applications
  • dip-coating process
  • sanding techniques
  • corrosion types
  • health and safety in the workplace
  • lacquer spray gun parts

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, a group of 23 jobs that includes vehicle paint technicians.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 6.5%about 72,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035338,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.