Painting Apprentice Hub
Painting and decorating is one of the most accessible trades to start and one of the hardest to master properly. Anyone can slap on a coat, but a good painter gets a flawless finish, knows how to prep a dodgy surface so the paint actually lasts, and can hang wallpaper, spray a feature wall or roll a full commercial fit-out without leaving a mark. In Australia you train through a Certificate III in Painting and Decorating, usually over three to four years, split between paid work on the tools and off the job training at TAFE.
The work runs across a lot of settings: new homes and renos, big commercial fit-outs, factories and bridges, plus maintenance and repaint contracts. Where you land shapes everything, from the products you use to your pay packet. A first-year on a domestic crew and a first-year on a union commercial site can be doing very different days for very different money. This page walks through what the trade actually looks like so you know what you are signing up for.
Start with these
What apprentices actually do
- •Prepare surfaces: fill, sand, patch, strip and clean walls, ceilings, timber and metal so coatings stick and last
- •Apply paint by brush, roller and spray to interior and exterior surfaces to a clean, even finish
- •Protect the area: mask, sheet up and cover fixtures, floors and furniture before any paint goes on
- •Mix and match: tint, thin and mix products to the right consistency and colour, and read the product data sheet
- •Hang wallpaper and apply special finishes like texture coats, stains, varnishes and decorative effects
- •Work off ladders, trestles, scaffold and elevated work platforms safely at height
- •Estimate and set out: measure up, work out how much product a job needs and keep the workspace clean and tidy
Residential, commercial or industrial?
Same trade, very different day depending on the kind of work your employer does.
Residential
New homes, renovations and repaints for homeowners, builders and strata. This is where most apprentices start and where you learn to prep, cut in and finish to a customer's eye.
- •Day to day: lots of prep, filling, sanding, cutting in by hand and rolling walls and ceilings; you are often in an occupied home so care and clean-up matter
- •Tools: brushes, rollers, sanders, fillers, drop sheets and ladders; less spray gear than commercial
- •Paperwork: light, usually a colour schedule, a job quote and basic SWMS; smaller crews and closer contact with the client
- •Pace and pay: steadier pace but tighter margins on domestic; usually paid under the award unless the builder runs an agreement
- •Variety: you touch every part of the trade, from timber staining to wallpaper and cutting-in, which builds well-rounded skills fast
Commercial
Offices, schools, hospitals, apartments and shopping centres, often as part of a larger fit-out with other trades on site. Bigger jobs, bigger crews, more spraying and rolling of large areas.
- •Day to day: high volume rolling and spraying, back-rolling, working to a builder's program and hitting handover dates
- •Tools: airless spray units, extension poles, scissor lifts and scaffold get used a lot more here
- •Paperwork: full SWMS, site inductions, JSAs, sign-in and often a white card checked at the gate
- •Pay: many commercial and high-rise sites run an enterprise agreement (EBA), which usually pays above award with site allowances, travel and RDOs
- •Pace: driven by the construction program, so it can be fast with pressure to keep up with the following trades
Industrial and protective coatings
Factories, plant, tanks, steel structures, bridges and mine sites, applying protective and anti-corrosion coatings rather than decorative finishes. Specialised and often higher paying.
- •Day to day: abrasive blasting, surface prep to a standard, applying epoxy, zinc and two-pack coatings, checking film thickness
- •Tools: high-build spray rigs, blasting gear, wet film and dry film gauges, full respiratory protection
- •Paperwork: heavy on procedures, coating specs, inspection and test plans, confined space and hot work permits
- •Pay: often the best money in the trade, especially on resources and infrastructure sites under an EBA with shift and site allowances
- •Conditions: more PPE, health monitoring for isocyanates and solvents, and sometimes remote or FIFO work in regional areas
A day in the life (first year)
- ▹Early start: load the ute or van, check the job sheet and get to site before the builder's crew gets in your way
- ▹Set up: lay drop sheets, mask up edges, windows and skirtings, and move furniture or gear out of the way
- ▹Prep: fill holes, sand back, sugar soap and spot-prime; the boss reminds you prep is 80 percent of a good finish
- ▹On the tools: cut in around a room while a tradesperson rolls the walls, then you roll the second coats once you have the hang of it
- ▹Clean as you go: wash brushes and rollers, keep tins tidy and labelled, and sweep up so the site stays safe
- ▹Pack down: check the day's work in good light, note any touch-ups for tomorrow and load out
First-year expectations
- →Expect a lot of prep and clean-up: sanding, filling, washing brushes and moving gear before you get much time cutting in
- →You will start slow; a straight cut-in line and a roller finish with no stipple or roller marks takes real practice
- →Your body will feel it: on your feet all day, up and down ladders, and plenty of overhead rolling that tires the shoulders
- →First year pay is a percentage of the tradesperson rate and steps up each year, so the money gets better as you get useful
- →Book work and TAFE both count; keep your logbook up to date or it slows down your progression
- →You are learning the products as much as the technique: primers, undercoats, enamels, low-sheen and two-pack all behave differently
Tools you'll need
Common terms
- Cutting in
- Painting the neat edges by hand where a roller cannot reach, like around trims and corners.
- Prep
- All the filling, sanding and cleaning done before any paint goes on; it decides how good the finish is.
- Back-rolling
- Rolling over freshly sprayed paint to work it in and even out the finish.
- Cut and roll
- The two-person rhythm where one cuts in edges while the other rolls the main area.
- Holidays
- Missed spots or thin patches where the surface shows through the paint.
- Sugar soap
- A cleaner used to wash walls and cut grease before painting so the coat sticks.
- Two-pack (2K)
- A coating mixed from two parts that cure by chemical reaction; tough, common in industrial and spray work.
- Airless spray
- A high-pressure sprayer that pushes paint without air; fast for large areas.
- Cut-back or flatting
- Light sanding between coats to knock off nibs and get a smooth base for the next coat.
- SWMS
- Safe Work Method Statement; the site paperwork that sets out how a high-risk task is done safely.
TAFE & study support
Off the job training is done through a Registered Training Organisation, usually TAFE, either day release, block release or in a workshop set-up. You learn the theory of surfaces, products, colour and safety, and practise skills like spraying and wallpapering before you use them on a paying job. Alongside TAFE you keep a training record or logbook that tracks the tasks and skills you complete on site, and both your employer and trainer sign off on your progress. Your qualification is competency based, so you move through as you prove you can do the work, not just by putting in time.
Licensing & qualifications
The trade qualification is the CPC30620 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating, confirmed as current on training.gov.au, made up of 29 units of competency: 26 core units and 3 elective units. Licensing and registration are separate from the qualification and are set state by state, so the rules change depending on where you work. In NSW, Building Commission NSW requires a contractor licence for residential building and trade work valued over $5,000, though stand-alone internal paintwork contracts are treated as exempt unless the painting is part of other home building work. In Queensland you need a QBCC painting and decorating licence for work valued over $3,300. Western Australia requires painting contractors to register with the Building Services Board for work above a set value. Some states, such as Tasmania, do not require a specific painting licence, so always check your state or territory authority before contracting on your own.
What you'll get paid
Apprentice pay is set as a percentage of the qualified tradesperson rate and steps up with each year of your apprenticeship, with adult apprentices generally on a higher rate. The floor is set by a modern award (for construction painting that is usually the Building and Construction General On-site Award), but many commercial, high-rise and resources sites run an enterprise agreement (EBA) that pays well above award with site allowances, travel and RDOs. Check your exact entitlement using the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool (Pay Calculator) rather than relying on a quoted figure.
Common questions
How long does a painting apprenticeship take?
Usually three to four years, but it is competency based, so finishing your units and logbook faster can get you out sooner.
Do I need my own tools to start?
Not much. You will usually buy your own brushes and a few hand tools; the employer supplies rollers, ladders, spray gear and task-specific PPE.
Is spray painting part of the apprenticeship?
Yes. You learn brush, roller and spray. How much spraying you do day to day depends on whether you are on domestic, commercial or industrial work.
Award or EBA, which pays more?
EBA sites, mostly commercial, high-rise and resources, generally pay above award with site allowances and RDOs. Domestic work is more often straight award.
Do I need a licence to be a painter?
You need the Certificate III to qualify, then a state licence or registration to contract on your own in most states above a set dollar threshold. Rules differ by state, so check your local authority.
Can I get in as an adult or school-based apprentice?
Yes. There are junior, adult and school-based pathways, and you can be employed directly or through a group training organisation (GTO) that places you with host employers.
Is it a good trade for going out on my own?
It has low start-up costs and steady demand for repaints and renos, which is why many painters end up self-employed once licensed.
Safety reminders
- ⚠Wear the right respiratory protection when sanding and spraying; paint dust and solvent fumes are a real health risk, not just a nuisance
- ⚠Treat isocyanates in two-pack and spray paints as high risk; once you are sensitised, even small future exposures can trigger asthma
- ⚠Watch for lead and crystalline silica when sanding old paint or render; use dust extraction or wet sanding and never dry sand blind
- ⚠Set up ladders, trestles and platforms properly; falls from height are a leading cause of serious injury on painting jobs
- ⚠Keep the area ventilated and control ignition sources when using solvent-based products in enclosed spaces
- ⚠Do your general construction induction (white card) and follow the site SWMS before starting any high-risk task
Sources and official links
Straight from the source. These open in a new tab.
- training.gov.au - CPC30620 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating (opens in a new tab)
- Your Career - CPC30620 Certificate III in Painting and Decorating (opens in a new tab)
- Jobs and Skills Australia - Painting Trades Workers (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work Ombudsman - Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020) summary (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work Ombudsman - Apprentice and trainee pay rates (opens in a new tab)
- NSW Government - Painting work licence (opens in a new tab)
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission - Painting and decorating licence (opens in a new tab)
- Western Australia Government - Painters' registration (opens in a new tab)
- Safe Work Australia - Spray painting and powder coating Code of Practice (opens in a new tab)
- SafeWork NSW - Isocyanates technical fact sheet (opens in a new tab)
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