There are nearly 18,000 employees at LAS with a variety of skills and talents – and many of the jobs don’t require a background in aviation. 

Among the teams of specialty trades workers employed by the Department of Aviation, there are locksmiths, sign makers, carpenters and even painters. 

The painters at LAS keep the airport looking fresh both inside and out. Unlike painting jobs on the Strip, where it’s often putting the finishing touches on new construction, at the airport it’s about maintaining existing structures and finishes.

Before coming to work at the Department of Aviation, Tyler Bushey worked as a painter at Strip resorts.

“It’s a whole different job. Here you might paint 10 doors, then three weeks later you paint the same 10 doors. Before, it was paint the 10 doors, move on to the next and then you’d be done.”

One recent project had the team working high above the ground, painting the accents on the Terminal 1 parking garage. The area was last painted nine years ago, and Las Vegas’ hot summers and bright sunny days had taken their toll.

“We’re just touching it up, making it look pretty for all the special events we have coming up,” Bushey said.

Painters used an articulating lift to reach the highest points of the garage and had to start very early in the morning to minimize the effects of the hot sun. 

The job requires special training and certification. While they were up in the air, painters wore safety harnesses strapped to the lift. 

To learn more about the variety of careers at the airport and to apply for open positions, visit harryreidairport.com/careers.