How much does a painter earn?
Painters prepare surfaces, apply coatings to vehicles or components and deliver durable, high-quality finishes – in vehicle paint shops, body shops, industry and crafts. Gross pay depends on region, collective agreements, employer and specialisation (e.g. accident repair, smart repair, effect finishes). As a guide, qualified professionals in Germany in 2026 often earn about €2,900–€3,500 gross per month; during apprenticeship around €900–€1,200 is typical.
Salary by region (gross/month)
Guide figures as of 2026. Actual pay depends on collective agreements, employer, region, experience, paint systems and order situation and is not a guarantee.
Further training options
Job and everyday work
A painter works in vehicle paint shops, body and paint businesses and in industry: inspecting and preparing surfaces, filling and sanding, priming, spraying and polishing – often in a spray booth with a modern mixing system. Everyday work includes occupational safety, handling solvents and waterborne paints, colour matching, quality control and coordination with bodywork, mechatronics and customers – frequently under deadline pressure after accidents or on series jobs.
- Assess damage and paint condition, mix colours and decide on repair or full-repaint paths.
- Fill, sand, prime and prepare surfaces for painting – including degreasing and masking.
- Apply primer, basecoat and clearcoat with a spray gun; control booth processes and drying.
- Follow occupational safety, extraction, personal protective equipment and VOC/hazardous-substance rules.
- Coordinate with bodywork, mechatronics and customers; document colour cards, mix logs and working times.
- Maintain spray equipment, mixing systems and the booth and check surface quality and gloss.
