What This Job Pays: painter

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September 28, 2007

What This Job Pays: painter

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Pay: The average pay of a painter in the Seattle area is $19.29 an hour, with most making from $14.68 to $22.98 an hour, according to PayScale, a Seattle company that tracks compensation and benefits.

Demand: Employment of painters is expected to grow as fast as average for all occupations in the coming years, reflecting increases in the level of new construction and in the stock of buildings and other structures that require maintenance and renovation. The relatively short life of exterior paints as well as changing color trends will stir demand for painters. Painting is labor-intensive and not susceptible to technological changes that might make workers more productive and slow employment growth.

Need to know: Those considering this occupation should expect some periods of unemployment, especially until they gain experience. Many construction projects are of short duration, and construction activity is cyclical and seasonal in nature. Remodeling, restoration and maintenance projects, however, often provide many jobs for painters and paperhangers even when new construction activity declines. The most versatile painters and skilled paperhangers generally are best able to keep working steadily during downturns in the economy.

PayScale, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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