Residential builder vs private contractor

The differences between residential builders and private contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a residential builder and a private contractor. Additionally, a private contractor has an average salary of $45,674, which is higher than the $44,544 average annual salary of a residential builder.

The top three skills for a residential builder include residential buildings, safety codes and plumbing. The most important skills for a private contractor are windows, snow removal, and RAN.

Residential builder vs private contractor overview

	Residential Builder	Private Contractor
Yearly salary	$44,544	$45,674
Hourly rate	$21.42	$21.96
Growth rate	2%	8%
Number of jobs	10,527	13,902
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

Residential builder vs private contractor salary

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

	Residential Builder	Private Contractor
Average salary	$44,544	$45,674
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $83,000	Between $27,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between residential builder and private contractor education

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

	Residential Builder	Private Contractor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Residential builder vs private contractor demographics

Here are the differences between residential builders' and private contractors' demographics:

	Residential Builder	Private Contractor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2%	Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 1.5% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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 Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between residential builder and private contractor duties and responsibilities

Residential builder example responsibilities.

Manage the office for a small business; invoicing, accounts receivable, accounting, taxes, payroll, etc.
Utilize industry knowledge to anticipate and communicate changes and adjustments effecting project plans, specifications or design.
Work on top of stilts, ladders, and the top beams of buildings.

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.

Residential builder vs private contractor skills

Common residential builder skills

Residential Buildings, 27%
Safety Codes, 17%
Plumbing, 15%
Construction Process, 11%
Residential Homes, 8%
Building Materials, 4%

Common private contractor skills

Windows, 36%
Snow Removal, 16%
RAN, 8%
Manual Labor, 6%
Troubleshoot, 6%
HVAC, 6%

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Residential Builder vs Private Contractor

Updated January 8, 2025

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