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General contractor vs private contractor

The differences between general contractors and private contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a general contractor, becoming a private contractor takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a general contractor has an average salary of $66,602, which is higher than the $45,674 average annual salary of a private contractor.

The top three skills for a general contractor include plumbing, safety regulations and contract negotiations. The most important skills for a private contractor are windows, snow removal, and RAN.

General contractor vs private contractor overview

General ContractorPrivate Contractor
Yearly salary$66,602$45,674
Hourly rate$32.02$21.96
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs66,21813,902
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age4646
Years of experience8-

General contractor vs private contractor salary

General contractors and private contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.

General ContractorPrivate Contractor
Average salary$66,602$45,674
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $107,000Between $27,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between general contractor and private contractor education

There are a few differences between a general contractor and a private contractor in terms of educational background:

General ContractorPrivate Contractor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo-

General contractor vs private contractor demographics

Here are the differences between general contractors' and private contractors' demographics:

General ContractorPrivate Contractor
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 90.6% Female, 9.4%Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage4%2%

Differences between general contractor and private contractor duties and responsibilities

General contractor example responsibilities.

  • Manage the repair/replacement of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and structural of primarily historical residences.
  • Manage third party contractors including safety oversight, environmental design specification compliance, and similar construction specifications and requirements.
  • Perform electrical, mechanical (HVAC), plumbing, framing, roofing and finishing construction for residential and commercial buildings.
  • Remodel restaurants, which include painting, dry wall, tiling, plumbing, electrical and laying carpet.
  • Assist and perform all duties with installation of cabinets, flooring, sheetrock, framing, concrete, and basic plumbing.
  • Experience in roofing, painting, digging of footers, and tile setting.
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Private contractor example responsibilities.

  • Enter and manage data for timberline for JC/AP/AR for multiple companies.
  • Manage, oversee and troubleshoot production schedules, critical orders and product development.
  • Utilize QuickBooks to manage company finances, including project invoices, material purchases, and accounts receivable.
  • Manage and decide all remodel activities.
  • Prepare and submit EHR data require for third party, Medicare, and Medicaid compliance audits.
  • Apply coats of paint, varnish, stain, enamel and lacquer to decorate and protect interior and exterior surfaces.
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General contractor vs private contractor skills

Common general contractor skills
  • Plumbing, 17%
  • Safety Regulations, 12%
  • Contract Negotiations, 11%
  • Drywall Installation, 7%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
  • Payroll, 4%
Common private contractor skills
  • Windows, 36%
  • Snow Removal, 16%
  • RAN, 8%
  • Manual Labor, 6%
  • Troubleshoot, 6%
  • HVAC, 6%

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