Building contractor vs home improvement contractor

The differences between building contractors and home improvement contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a building contractor and a home improvement contractor. Additionally, a building contractor has an average salary of $72,354, which is higher than the $50,140 average annual salary of a home improvement contractor.

The top three skills for a building contractor include plumbing, contract terms and sub contractors. The most important skills for a home improvement contractor are strong customer service, customer service, and ladders.

Building contractor vs home improvement contractor overview

	Building Contractor	Home Improvement Contractor
Yearly salary	$72,354	$50,140
Hourly rate	$34.79	$24.11
Growth rate	8%	5%
Number of jobs	16,283	55,210
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Building contractor vs home improvement contractor salary

Building contractors and home improvement contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Building Contractor	Home Improvement Contractor
Average salary	$72,354	$50,140
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $99,000	Between $34,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	-	Plymouth, MA
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Dynamics
Best paying industry	-	Start-up

Differences between building contractor and home improvement contractor education

There are a few differences between a building contractor and a home improvement contractor in terms of educational background:

	Building Contractor	Home Improvement Contractor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Building contractor vs home improvement contractor demographics

Here are the differences between building contractors' and home improvement contractors' demographics:

	Building Contractor	Home Improvement Contractor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%	Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 1.5% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between building contractor and home improvement contractor duties and responsibilities

Building contractor example responsibilities.

Utilize QuickBooks to manage company finances, including project invoices, material purchases, and accounts receivable.
Install cedar shakes and various asphalt roofs, including- 3 tab shingles, malarkey shingles, and architectural shingles.
Mop and pour hot asphalt or tar onto roof base when applying asphalt or tar and gravel to roof.
Install, update, troubleshoot and/or repair trade-specific/project relate assignments.
Utilize industry knowledge to anticipate and communicate changes and adjustments effecting project plans, specifications or design.
Automate company records in QuickBooks resulting in more accurate reflection of company income and expenses

Home improvement contractor example responsibilities.

Train and manage new cooks and dishwashers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulks, putty, plaster, or fillers, using caulking guns.
Conduct carpentry work, specializing in flooring, painting, and tiling.
Complete various home improvement, landscaping, renovation, HVAC, and logging jobs.
Replace or repair drywall: tapes, beds and textures; patch holes in plaster or sheetrock.
Apply paints, to exterior and interior building surfaces such as plaster, sheetrock, concrete and wood.

Building contractor vs home improvement contractor skills

Common building contractor skills

Plumbing, 17%
Contract Terms, 8%
Sub Contractors, 7%
Windows, 6%
Building Repairs, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common home improvement contractor skills

Strong Customer Service, 34%
Customer Service, 19%
Ladders, 11%
Sales Floor, 9%
Plumbing, 5%
Drywall Repair, 4%

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Building Contractor vs Home Improvement Contractor

Updated January 8, 2025

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