Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
Also called: Billboard Poster Helper, Bridge Painter Helper, Dry Plasterer Helper, Exterior Work Helper, Helper, Highway Painter Helper, House Painter Helper, Ornamental Plasterer Helper
Help painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or stucco masons by performing duties requiring less skill.
What Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons do
Typical tasks
- Clean work areas and equipment.
- Supply or hold tools and materials.
- Apply protective coverings, such as masking tape, to articles or areas that could be damaged or stained by work processes.
- Smooth surfaces of articles to be painted, using sanding and buffing tools and equipment.
- Erect scaffolding.
- Perform support duties to assist painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or masons.
- Fill cracks or breaks in surfaces of plaster articles or areas with putty or epoxy compounds.
- Mix plaster, and carry plaster to plasterers.
- Pour specified amounts of chemical solutions into stripping tanks.
- Place articles to be stripped into stripping tanks.
- Remove articles such as cabinets, metal furniture, and paint containers from stripping tanks after prescribed periods of time.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons salary
The median annual wage for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons is $40,470 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $31,200 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $52,000. The mean annual wage is $42,440.
The mean hourly wage of $20.00 is 2.8× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $40,470 → in 3 years $44,500 → in 5 years $47,400 → in 10 years $55,500 (10-year range $47,700–$64,400). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.