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Vehicle Painters

Vehicle Painters prepare surfaces of vehicles, match and mix colours and apply paint.

Trades & constructionANZSCO 3243
$1,880/wkMedian full-time pay
9,226People employed
0%Growth to 2035
93%Work full time
36Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3243.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

removing rough spots on vehicle panelssanding surfaces by hand and with power sandersmasking areas not to be painted with tape and papercolour matching and mixing paints to match paint shades, and selecting pre-mixed paintapplying primer and finishing coats using spray-guns, and sanding surfaces between coatstouching up paintwork and applying polish to vehicles
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 3243 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

A steady field: around 9,823 jobs in vehicle painters through 2035

The field shrank 2.2% in the year to February 2026, losing about 200 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and VIC, with QLD third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3243.More about our sources: How we check our facts
9.8k2025
9.5k2030 PROJ.
9.8k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

Most vehicle painters came through a certificate or diploma. 70% did.

A university degree is rare here: 2% hold one. The trade qualification is the standard way in. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 3243. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

AUR32420Certificate III

Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology

Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package.

See 15 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

9,226 Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3243.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW3.2k
VIC2.5k
QLD1.6k
WA1k
SA0.8k
TAS0.3k
ACT0.1k
NT0.1k