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Painter & Decorator

Skilled Trades

Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns. May remove old paint to prepare surface prior to painting. May mix colors or oils to obtain desired color or consistency.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Architecture & Built Environment

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA construction site

  • Partly outdoors
  • On your feet for most of the day
  • Shifts or irregular hours
  • A noisy workplace

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Electrician (Chargeman)

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Quick answers

How do you become a Painter & Decorator in Malaysia?

Routes after SPM that lead here include Asasi / Foundation and Diploma.

Can I become a Painter & Decorator straight after SPM?

Yes. This career can be started with a certificate, diploma or TVET training straight after SPM, without a degree.

What should I study to become a Painter & Decorator?

Related fields of study: Architecture & Built Environment. SPM subjects that help most: Civil Engineering Studies, Engineering Drawing, Design & Technology (RBT) and Business.

How much does a Painter & Decorator earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Painter & Decorator pay, so we show no figure.

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
  2. 2Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
  3. 3Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
  4. 4Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
  5. 5Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
  6. 6Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.
  7. 7Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly.
  8. 8Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats.
  9. 9Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders.
  10. 10Remove old finishes by stripping, sanding, wire brushing, burning, or using water or abrasive blasting.
  11. 11Remove fixtures such as pictures, door knobs, lamps, or electric switch covers prior to painting.
  12. 12Use special finishing techniques such as sponging, ragging, layering, or faux finishing.
  13. 13Waterproof buildings, using waterproofers or caulking.
  14. 14Select and purchase tools or finishes for surfaces to be covered, considering durability, ease of handling, methods of application, and customers' wishes.
  15. 15Polish final coats to specified finishes.
  16. 16Mix and match colors of paint, stain, or varnish with oil or thinning and drying additives to obtain desired colors and consistencies.
  17. 17Cut stencils and brush or spray lettering or decorations on surfaces.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Filler
  • Caulker
  • Painter
  • Stainer
  • Stippler
  • Texturer
  • Calciminer
  • Kalsominer
  • Marbleizer
  • Roof Painter

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service63%
  • Building and Construction61%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Administration and Management57%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Public Safety and Security56%
  • Chemistry53%

    Chemistry

  • Transportation53%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedRarely
  • Noisy environmentOften
  • Time spent sittingAlmost none
  • Time spent standingAlmost all the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Clean tools and equipment, such as brushes and rollers.
  • Hang wallpaper.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 20 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

11 of 20 were internships

Allowance or pay, when stated

RM750 – RM2,000

11 of 20 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM750 and RM2,000 a month. Many print none.

Professional bodies named

Built-environment board, CIDB, BEM

Languages named

Bahasa Malaysia

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Painters, Construction and Maintenance

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org