PAINTER (INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL)
Surface prep and coating for buildings, bridges, industrial structures. Often paired with related trades (drywall, glazing) under IUPAT. Montana is not a right-to-work state — union density is higher than average and prevailing wage rules cover most public projects.
The License.
Check with Montana directly — licensing for painter (industrial/commercial)varies by municipality in this state. There is no single state board that we can point to with confidence for this trade. Contact your local city or county building department, or check the state labor department's website.
The Money.
Pay data for this trade in Montana. BLS metro-level data was not available for this combination. National medians shown below.
| Stage | Hourly range | Approx. annual |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 apprentice | $15–$22/hr | $30,000 – $44,000 |
| Journeyman scale | $25–$42/hr | $50,000 – $84,000 |
| BLS national median | — | $47,700 |
| BLS top 10% | — | $76,790 |
Montana is NOT a right-to-work state. Union scale in Montana's major metros typically runs 20–40% above the national median. Prevailing wage laws apply to most public-sector projects.
The Path.
Montana is a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) state — it administers its own apprenticeship programs separately from the federal RAPIDS system. Contact the state labor department directly or visit apprenticeship.gov and filter by state.
- · IUPAT (International Union of Painters and Allied Trades)
The Exam.
Most construction trade licenses at the contractor level require a business and law exam in addition to the trade exam. Montana may have this structure. Pass rates are not published uniformly — ask the licensing board directly for current data. Prevailing wage requirements in Montana apply to most public-sector projects, which ties exam and licensure to wage scale compliance for contractors.
Be honest about pass rates. Many licensing boards do not publish them. When they do, first-time pass rates for journeyman exams in the trades typically run 50–75%. Preparation time varies — most serious candidates spend 60–120 hours on exam prep. Use code books from the correct edition, not what's currently in print.
What recruiters won't tell you.
- 01Solvent and lead exposure are real career risks. PPE discipline matters.
- 02Residential painting pay is often poor — industrial/commercial is where money lives.
- 03Many non-union painting jobs misclassify employees as 1099 contractors (illegal in most states).