Painter & Decorator
Paints and decorates interior and exterior surfaces — walls, ceilings, doors, furniture. In Kenya — with active construction and renovation across residential and commercial sectors — painters are in steady demand.
- AI exposure
- 3 of 100, low exposure
- Hiring trend
- Stable
- Hiring rate
- 30%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
Work environment
- Remote friendly
- No
- Freelance potential
- High
A day in the role
Prepares walls by filling cracks and sanding. Applies primer to a new plaster wall. Paints interior walls with emulsion paint using a roller. Cuts in around windows and doors with a brush. Applies a texture coat to an exterior wall. Varnishes wooden doors. Advises a client on colour selection. Estimates materials for a house painting project.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 15,000-30,000
- Mid
- KES 35,000-70,000
- Senior
- KES 80,000-180,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 2% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside trades & vocational the mean is 11, across 66 careers.
Named task by task
Already automated
- AI-powered colour visualisation and matching
- Automated paint quantity estimation from room dimensions
- AI-assisted decorative pattern design
- Generating painting quotes and invoices
Still human
- Preparing surfaces — filling cracks, sanding, priming, repairing plaster before painting
- Applying paint — brushing, rolling, spraying interior and exterior walls, ceilings, doors, windows
- Applying decorative finishes — texture coats, stencilling, accent walls, faux finishes
- Wallpaper installation — hanging wallpaper, borders, decorative wall coverings
- Exterior painting — weatherproof paints, mabati painting, concrete and render surfaces
- Wood and metal painting — staining, varnishing, enamel painting for doors, windows, railings
- Colour consultation — advising clients on colour schemes, paint types, finishes
- Managing painting projects — estimating materials, pricing, managing crews
Task counts
- Displacing
- Minimal — painting is physical, manual work requiring dexterity.
- Augmenting
- AI colour visualisation and estimation assist but don't replace manual work.
Sources
Behind the rating- Kenya construction sector
- Crown Paints market data
- Kenya painting trade
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Metal Processing TechnologyKsh 42,600a year
- Artisan in Building TechnologyKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Carpentry and JoineryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Front Office OperationsKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in HorticultureKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Land SurveyingKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in MasonryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Refrigeration and Air ConditioningKsh 67,189a year
How people get in
Apprenticeship / on-site training
2-4 yearsLow cost
Learn painting through apprenticeship with an experienced painter or as a helper on construction sites
Who hires
- Construction Companies
- Painting Contractors
- Self-Employed
- Paint Companies (Crown, Dulux)
Common misconceptions
Painting is just rolling paint on walls
Professional painting involves surface preparation, knowledge of paint chemistry, application techniques, decorative finishes and colour consultation — a skilled trade.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Growth outlook
- Net demand change
- +8%
- Over
- 2026-2028
- Drivers
- Construction boom,Renovation and repainting demand,Commercial painting,Decorative finishes growing
- Headwinds
- Informal sector competition,Seasonal work,Health risks
What to learn
- AI colour visualisation tools
- Eco-friendly and low-VOC paints
- Decorative and speciality finishes
- Digital estimation and quoting
Kenyan market notes
Painting is a core construction finishing trade in Kenya. Key paint companies: Crown Paints (largest Kenyan manufacturer), Dulux (AkzoNobel), Sadolin (wood finishes). Key types: emulsion (interior walls), enamel (wood/metal), weatherproof (exterior), texture coats (decorative exterior — growing). Training: on-site apprenticeship, NITA trade testing, manufacturer training. Challenges: informal sector, unskilled competition, seasonal work, health risks (fumes, chemicals — limited PPE). Salary: entry KES 15,000-30,000, mid KES 35,000-70,000, senior KES 80,000-180,000+. Self-employed painters earn per project — KES 15,000-80,000+ per house.
Further reading
This role is rated 3 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.