Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons

Help painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or stucco masons by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

The occupation "Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons" is assigned an automation risk of 15.7%, closely aligning with its base risk of 15.9%. This relatively low risk indicates that while certain repetitive or straightforward tasks may be susceptible to automation, much of the work still requires human judgment, physical adaptability, and on-the-spot problem solving. The role typically involves supporting skilled tradespeople by executing auxiliary tasks that facilitate the primary work of painting, paperhanging, plastering, or applying stucco. Although advancements in robotics and automation have enabled machines to undertake some manual operations, the diverse and often unpredictable work settings present in this profession complicate full-scale automation. Tasks most likely to be automated in this role include "Clean work areas and equipment," "Perform support duties to assist painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or masons," and "Apply protective coverings, such as masking tape, to articles or areas that could be damaged or stained by work processes." These tasks are generally routine, repetitive, and require minimal discretion, making them suitable targets for machines or specialized robotic tools. For instance, automated cleaning systems and mechanical masking tape applicators can already perform some aspects of this work in controlled environments. Their highly structured and procedural nature provides a clear framework for automation technologies to replicate these job functions with consistency and efficiency. Conversely, the most resistant tasks to automation in this occupation are those that involve managing chemical solutions and handling unique or variable objects. Specifically, "Pour specified amounts of chemical solutions into stripping tanks," "Remove articles such as cabinets, metal furniture, and paint containers from stripping tanks after prescribed periods of time," and "Place articles to be stripped into stripping tanks" are less likely to be automated. These duties require nuanced control, assessment of timing and material condition, and responsiveness to diverse object shapes and weights—capabilities that remain challenging for current automation systems. Bottleneck skills like originality, even at modest levels (2.1% and 1.9%), further shield this occupation from automation, as adaptability and creative problem-solving are required when navigating the wide variability in materials, environments, and unanticipated situations found on job sites.