lacquer maker
Role lens
Are you fascinated by the art of surface finishing and precision manufacturing? As a lacquer maker, you'll play a vital role in creating durable and beautiful coatings for a range of products, ensuring quality and consistency in every batch.
Lacquer makers are skilled technical professionals responsible for producing high-quality lacquers and synthetic paints. Your daily work involves operating and maintaining specialized equipment like lacquer and synthetic paint mixers and jar mills. You’ll carefully follow established formulas, monitoring the mixing process and making adjustments as needed to guarantee the final product meets precise specifications. Accuracy and attention to detail are crucial for consistent results.
- • Operate and maintain lacquer and synthetic paint mixers and jar mills.
- • Follow precise formulas and production instructions.
- • Monitor mixing processes and adjust parameters to ensure product quality.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Stationary plant and machine operators — 259 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Italy and 4 more.
Longest-running shortage: Spain, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
Explore More
Find your career path and explore the science behind our recommendations.
Could lacquer maker fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Attention to Detail?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Integrity?
Future Outlook for lacquer maker
The outlook for lacquer maker reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could lacquer maker change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could lacquer maker change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- wear appropriate protective gear
- work safely with chemicals
- add colour
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- select lacquer ingredients
- heat lacquer mixture
- prepare chemical samples
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Advanced Manufacturing
A typical day as a lacquer maker
09 09:00 · Morning heat lacquer mixture
10 10:30 · Mid-morning operate jar mill
12 12:00 · Midday select lacquer ingredients
14 14:00 · Afternoon measure chemical substance viscosity
15 15:30 · Late afternoon work safely with chemicals
17 17:00 · Wrap-up add colour
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
-
quality standards
The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.
-
quality and cycle time optimisation
The most optimal rotation or cycle time and over-all quality of a tool or a machine's processes.
- quality standards
- quality and cycle time optimisation
-
wear appropriate protective gear
Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
-
work safely with chemicals
Take the necessary precautions for storing, using and disposing chemical products.
-
measure chemical substance viscosity
Measure the viscosity of the mixed ingredients by using a viscosimeter.
-
add colour
Add the required colour according to specifications for tinting batch.
-
troubleshoot
Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
-
operate jar mill
Operate the jar grinding mill in order to mix and produce lacquers making sure the parameters and specifications are according to formulas.
-
select lacquer ingredients
Select the correct types and amounts of lacquer ingredients such as thinners, pigmens or gims, placing them in the mill.
-
supply machine
Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.
-
set up the controller of a machine
Set up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
See whether this role fits your Career DNA
Take the free Career DNA assessment to see how lacquer maker aligns with your interests, work style, and future path. In less than 10 minutes, you will get a personalized fit signal and a roadmap for what to do next.
Scan to continue on mobileGrowth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does lacquer maker fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of training or experience is typically needed to become a lacquer maker?
- While a formal degree isn't always required, a strong technical aptitude and experience in a manufacturing environment are beneficial. Many lacquer makers learn through on-the-job training, apprenticeships, or vocational programs focused on industrial coatings and paint technology. Familiarity with chemical processes and safety protocols is essential.
- What are the working conditions like for a lacquer maker?
- The work environment is typically an industrial setting, often involving exposure to chemicals and noise. Safety precautions, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), are critical. Lacquer makers often stand for extended periods and may work in areas with varying temperatures.
- Are there opportunities for advancement within the lacquer making field?
- With experience and further training, lacquer makers can advance to roles such as production supervisor, quality control specialist, or even formulation chemist, focusing on developing new lacquer products and improving existing formulas. Continuous learning and a commitment to quality are key to career progression.
- Lacquer Maker — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 8 of the 10 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Spain and 4 more. Spain has reported one for 4 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Lacquer Maker — what does it pay in the United States?
- $47,680 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $31,410 to $60,790. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.