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Drywall finisher vs drywall sander

The differences between drywall finishers and drywall sanders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a drywall finisher and a drywall sander. Additionally, a drywall finisher has an average salary of $39,376, which is higher than the $32,618 average annual salary of a drywall sander.

Drywall finisher vs drywall sander overview

Drywall FinisherDrywall Sander
Yearly salary$39,376$32,618
Hourly rate$18.93$15.68
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs14,312251
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 55%High School Diploma, 77%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

Drywall finisher vs drywall sander salary

Drywall finishers and drywall sanders have different pay scales, as shown below.

Drywall FinisherDrywall Sander
Average salary$39,376$32,618
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $62,000Between $23,000 And $45,000
Highest paying CitySunnyvale, CA-
Highest paying stateNorth Dakota-
Best paying companySwinerton-
Best paying industryProfessional-

Differences between drywall finisher and drywall sander education

There are a few differences between a drywall finisher and a drywall sander in terms of educational background:

Drywall FinisherDrywall Sander
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 55%High School Diploma, 77%
Most common majorBusinessGeneral Studies
Most common college--

Drywall finisher vs drywall sander demographics

Here are the differences between drywall finishers' and drywall sanders' demographics:

Drywall FinisherDrywall Sander
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 90.9% Female, 9.1%Male, 85.3% Female, 14.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 30.0% Asian, 1.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 49.7% Asian, 1.0% White, 38.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between drywall finisher and drywall sander duties and responsibilities

Drywall finisher example responsibilities.

  • Practice safe PPE around compound dust.
  • Enforce safety requirements, PPE, regulation laws.
  • Replace and finish all work around remove urinals, sinks or tubs.
  • Discard hazardous materials according to OSHA, MOSH, fire and building codes.
  • Lead and provide work direction for team of drywall finishers on commercial job sites.
  • Follow by measuring from stud to stud and putting the measurements on the drywall.
  • Show more

Drywall sander example responsibilities.

  • Work collaboratively with other finishers and supervisors, serving as leadership.
  • Smooth out all rough edges of drywall in order for the drywall joints to fit evenly.

Drywall finisher vs drywall sander skills

Common drywall finisher skills
  • Hand Tools, 16%
  • Ladders, 12%
  • Scaffolding, 9%
  • Finishers, 8%
  • Texture, 8%
  • Tape Measure, 8%
Common drywall sander skills

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