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Painter vs artist

The differences between painters and artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an artist has an average salary of $68,690, which is higher than the $42,339 average annual salary of a painter.

The top three skills for a painter include ladders, coats and safety procedures. The most important skills for an artist are maya, adobe photoshop, and customer service.

Painter vs artist overview

PainterArtist
Yearly salary$42,339$68,690
Hourly rate$20.36$33.02
Growth rate1%6%
Number of jobs4,4823,870
Job satisfaction4.54
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4240
Years of experience--

What does a painter do?

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.

What does an artist do?

An Artist specializes in creating various artworks or prose; the audience can vary from individuals or the general public. An artist's responsibility depends on the industry, company, or position where they are assigned. However, most of the time, Artists are expected to work under specific guidelines, deliver materials in a required format within an allotted time and perform revisions according to what is preferred by an editor or client. Furthermore, independent artists may work freelance and receive commissions for their craft.

Painter vs artist salary

Painters and artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

PainterArtist
Average salary$42,339$68,690
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $59,000Between $42,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CASan Rafael, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyDellMeta
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between painter and artist education

There are a few differences between a painter and an artist in terms of educational background:

PainterArtist
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessFine Arts
Most common college-Harvard University

Painter vs artist demographics

Here are the differences between painters' and artists' demographics:

PainterArtist
Average age4240
Gender ratioMale, 86.2% Female, 13.8%Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage5%11%

Differences between painter and artist duties and responsibilities

Painter example responsibilities.

  • Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, and relate materials.
  • Cover roofs with layers of roofing feel or asphalt strips before installing tile, slate, or composition materials.
  • Involve escalating ladders and scaffolding.
  • Shop assistant, get tools, clean up, paint trim, paint walls, run errands, etc )
  • Mask homes to prepare for painting.
  • Support journeymen painters with daily task.
  • Show more

Artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage studio workload and advise print direction to in-house and freelance cad artists.
  • Manage online product catalog using Dreamweaver.
  • Assist customers with product selection and process POS transactions.
  • Provide comparative analysis on traditional vs. Mac vs. PC production.
  • Animate in-game characters, user interface assets and particle effects.
  • Own & operate a specialize faux painting, mural and art business.
  • Show more

Painter vs artist skills

Common painter skills
  • Ladders, 13%
  • Coats, 9%
  • Safety Procedures, 7%
  • Scaffolding, 7%
  • Caulking, 6%
  • Exterior Surfaces, 5%
Common artist skills
  • Maya, 13%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 8%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Graphic Design, 7%
  • Photography, 7%
  • VFX, 6%

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