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The differences between drywall finishers and painters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a drywall finisher, becoming a painter takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a painter has an average salary of $42,339, which is higher than the $39,376 average annual salary of a drywall finisher.
The top three skills for a drywall finisher include hand tools, ladders and scaffolding. The most important skills for a painter are ladders, coats, and safety procedures.
| Drywall Finisher | Painter | |
| Yearly salary | $39,376 | $42,339 |
| Hourly rate | $18.93 | $20.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 14,312 | 4,482 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
As a part of the construction team, the drywall finisher is the last to touch the product and place pieces, paint, and decorations for the final look. Also, they are to put premade walls on surfaces. Drywall finishers cut out the excess, position it properly, and fasten it to the interior for a glossy finish. As it is, drywall finishers must have a great sense of focus to grasp the instructions given to avoid mistakes. They must communicate well with others on the team to finish the project entirely and perfectly.
Painters are skilled professionals who handle the painting needs of clients. They work closely with their clients to ensure that they will be able to do what is expected of them. Painters are responsible for preparing paints needed for the project. They mix and swatch paints to determine which would be the best fit for the clients' needs. Painters are expected to be experts on different types of surfaces and paint bases that work on each type. As such, painters are responsible for preparing the surface for paint jobs. This may include the removal of previous paints or wallpapers. Once they have prepared the surface, they then start putting on coats of paint until the desired color or effect is met.
Drywall finishers and painters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drywall Finisher | Painter | |
| Average salary | $39,376 | $42,339 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $62,000 | Between $30,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Swinerton | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Energy |
There are a few differences between a drywall finisher and a painter in terms of educational background:
| Drywall Finisher | Painter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between drywall finishers' and painters' demographics:
| Drywall Finisher | Painter | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 28.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 5% |