Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between kitchen designers and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a kitchen designer, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a general contractor has an average salary of $66,602, which is higher than the $55,942 average annual salary of a kitchen designer.
The top three skills for a kitchen designer include math, laundry room and design projects. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Kitchen Designer | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,942 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $26.90 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 56,831 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
A kitchen designer develops and creates designs for kitchen set-ups for clients. They are responsible for installing flooring, equipment, tools, cabinets, and other paraphernalia. They prepare a plan and recommend a timeline for the project. They need to ensure that all the equipment and appliances in the kitchen are functional, efficient, conveniently placed, and cost-effective. Often, a kitchen designer works for restaurants, pastry shops, cafeterias, or even schools and hospitals.
The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.
Kitchen designers and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Kitchen Designer | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $55,942 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $92,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | - |
| Best paying company | Riverhead Building Supply | - |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a kitchen designer and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Kitchen Designer | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Interior Design | Business |
| Most common college | Cornell University | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between kitchen designers' and general contractors' demographics:
| Kitchen Designer | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.6% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 23% | 4% |