Professional painters spruce up a home's exterior and may make minor repairs.
Painters work both in the residential and construction fields, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 45 percent of painters are self-employed. Those residential painters who are not self-employed usually work in residential building construction or with building finishing contractors, painting houses for a given construction company or contractor. The employment circumstances of the painter have a lot to do with how much they're paid, but there are other factors, too.
Training and Apprenticeships
Most house painters receive no formal training, although when employed by a construction company or another painter, they may work with more experienced painters before they're given a brush of their own. Some house painters and construction firms offer apprenticeship programs. These programs help to teach new painters the ins and outs of the business, what's included in the price, what techniques are quickest and what paints hold up the best. While working as an apprentice, painters earn 40 percent to 50 percent less than the usual wage.
Self-Employment
House painting services are usually performed by small-business painters, or self-employed painters. They decide the rates they charge, and this can change based on location and the house painter's level of experience, but locations do tend to develop an average. House painters in the area will want to stay competitive, so their prices are usually within a similar range. Payment can also change depending on the season. Summer is usually when people decide they want their house painted, so spring and fall are slower seasons and prices may go down to entice in business. Generally, self-employed house painters can make anywhere from $14 an hour to $25 an hour or more, but they also have equipment costs to pay.
Hourly Rates
Painters who work for a small business, or in building finishing or construction, have a smaller range of pay. The average painter working in these areas earns about $15 an hour, with building-finish contractors generally paying more than residential building construction. Nonresidential building construction pays the most, with an average hourly rate of $16.75 an hour.
Job Prospects
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 7 percent growth rate in the field of construction painters, and good job prospects due to the number of painters leaving the field for other employment. However, this federal estimate doesn't reflect given local situations, and it doesn't reflect the situation of self-employed painters.
Tags: building construction, painters self-employed, building finishing, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics
