How to Become a Painter and Decorator (UK): Salary, Skills & Career Guide
Painting and decorating is one of the easiest trades to get started in - low qualification barrier, low startup cost, and steady demand from homeowners and letting agents. Most decorators are self-employed within a few years, earning £30,000-£50,000 with the option to push higher in specialist or spray-finishing work.
In this guide, you'll learn how to become a painter and decorator in the UK, what you can realistically earn, and whether the work fits you.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £24,000 - £28,000
- Mid-career salary
- £28,000 - £40,000
- Senior salary
- £45,000 - £70,000+ (self-employed/specialist)
- Work environment
- Customers' homes, sites, indoors and out
- Time to entry
- 0 - 2 years (short course + on-the-job, or apprenticeship)
- Degree required
- Not required
- Category
- Skilled Trades
Compare pay across careers in the UK salaries by career report. Also in: No-degree careers, Career change.
What a Painter and Decorator does
Prepare and paint interior and exterior surfaces - homes, commercial premises, and new builds.
- Heritage / Specialist Decorator - Wallpapering, hand-finished period work, high-end private clients.
- Spray Finisher - Spray-finishing kitchens, doors, commercial fit-outs - higher day rate.
How to become a painter and decorator in the UK
There are two main routes: a Level 2 apprenticeship over 2-3 years combining paid work with college study, or a short City & Guilds course (often 6-12 weeks) followed by working alongside an experienced decorator. There's no legal qualification required to start, but a CSCS card is needed for site work.
- Choose your route: a Level 2 painter and decorator apprenticeship, or a short City & Guilds or college course followed by work as an improver.
- Practise surface preparation properly, including filling, sanding, caulking and priming, because preparation decides how good the final finish looks.
- Pass the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and apply for a CSCS card if you want to work on construction sites or new builds.
- Work alongside an established decorator for six to eighteen months to learn cutting in, wallpapering, spraying basics and how to price jobs.
- Build a photo portfolio of finished rooms and exteriors, then set up a Google Business Profile and a trade directory listing such as Checkatrade.
- Get public liability insurance and register as self-employed with HMRC before you take on your own customers.
- Learn specialist skills such as spray finishing, kitchen cabinet painting or heritage techniques to charge higher day rates.
| Route | How long | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 painter and decorator apprenticeship | 2-3 years | Paid by the employer | School leavers and new starters |
| Short college course, then improver work | 6-12 weeks, then 6-18 months | Varies by provider | Adult career changers |
| Labourer or decorator's mate | 6-18 months | Paid while you learn | Learning on the job |
How most people actually get started
Most adult decorators start with a short course at a local college, then work as a second pair of hands for an established self-employed decorator for 6-18 months while building a portfolio of finished rooms. After that, they go on their own with a Facebook page and Checkatrade profile, often picking up letting agent work first because it's reliable.
How long it takes
You can start earning as an improver within weeks of finishing a short course. Becoming fully qualified with an NVQ Level 2 takes around two to three years through an apprenticeship, or six to eighteen months through a college course plus on-site experience.
Painter and Decorator salary in the UK
Painter and decorator pay scales with whether you're employed and what you specialise in. Improvers and apprentices start at £16,000-£22,000, employed decorators earn £24,000-£35,000, and established self-employed decorators typically clear £30,000-£50,000. Heritage decorators and spray finishers push £45,000-£70,000+.
Is painter and decorator a good career?
Painting and decorating is a solid career in the UK if you want a hands-on trade with low qualification barriers and a clear self-employment path. Demand is steady, startup costs are low, and you can specialise into higher-paying work like spraying or heritage finishes. The trade-offs are the lower headline earnings versus other trades.
Key skills
- Surface preparation
- Cutting in / steady hand
- Colour and product knowledge
- Time management
- Customer service
Painter and Decorator FAQs
How do I become a painter and decorator with no experience?
The fastest route is a short City & Guilds course at a local college (typically 6-12 weeks) followed by 6-18 months working alongside an established decorator. The traditional route is a Level 2 apprenticeship over 2-3 years, combining paid on-site work with college.
How much do painters and decorators earn per day in the UK?
Decorators typically charge £150-£250 per day for general residential work. Spray finishers, heritage specialists and high-end residential decorators command £250-£400+. London and the South East pay the best rates.
Do I need qualifications to be a decorator in the UK?
There's no legal qualification required, but a CSCS card is needed for most site work, and customers increasingly look for trade body memberships like Dulux Select or TrustMark. A Level 2 NVQ in Painting and Decorating helps win commercial and site contracts.
Can I become a decorator at 30, 40 or older?
Yes - decorating is one of the most accessible trades for adult career-changers. The qualification barrier is low, startup costs are minimal (£500-£2,000 of basic kit), and the physical demand is moderate compared with carpentry or bricklaying.
Is being a painter and decorator a good career?
Yes if you want hands-on, low-stress trade work with a clear self-employment path and you're not chasing the highest possible income. Demand is steady, startup costs are low, and you can grow into specialist work for higher day rates. Career Compass, our one-off career direction assessment, shows how closely it matches your interests and priorities.
Is Painter and Decorator right for you?
Career Compass ranks careers from your interests and priorities and explains every suggestion, with UK routes and trade-offs. See how well Painter and Decorator actually fits you. £19.99 once, full report included.
Still deciding whether painter and decorator is the career for you? Here is which career test is actually worth taking, and what a free quiz will not tell you.