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Largely due to worker turnover, employment prospects should be good. Most workers learn informally on the job as helpers; however, training authorities recommend completion of an apprenticeship program. Two in five painters and paperhangers are self-employed, compared with one in five of all construction trades workers. Working conditions can be hazardous.
Painters and paperhangers apply various coverings to decorate and protect wood, drywall, metal, and other surfaces. Other construction occupations in which workers do finishing work include carpenters; carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers; drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers; painting and coating workers, except construction and maintenance; and plasterers and stucco masons.
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Painters and paperhangers held about 468,000 jobs in 2002; most were painters. Around 42 percent of painters and paperhangers work for contractors engaged in new construction, repair, restoration, or remodeling work. In addition, organizations that own or manage large buildings—such as apartment complexes—employ maintenance painters, as do some schools, hospitals, factories, and government agencies.
Self-employed independent painting contractors accounted for two in five of all painters and paperhangers, significantly greater than the one in five of construction trades workers in general.
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Most painters and paperhangers work 40 hours a week or less; about one-quarter have variable schedules or work part time. Painters and paperhangers must stand for long periods. Their jobs also require a considerable amount of climbing and bending. These workers must have stamina, because much of the work is done with their arms raised overhead. Painters often work outdoors but seldom in wet, cold, or inclement weather.
Painters and paperhangers risk injury from slips or falls off ladders and scaffolds. They sometimes may work with materials that can be hazardous if masks are not worn or if ventilation is poor. Some painting jobs can leave a worker covered with paint. In some cases, painters may work in a sealed self-contained suit to prevent inhalation of or contact with hazardous materials.
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In 2002, median hourly earnings of painters, construction and maintenance, were $13.98. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.08 and $18.00. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.10, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $23.90. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of painters in 2002 are shown below:
Local government $17.46
Residential building construction 14.01
Building finishing contractors 14.00
Lessors of real estate 11.62
Employment services 10.21
In 2002, median earnings for paperhangers were $15.22. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.52 and $20.38. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.04, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $25.64.
Earnings for painters may be reduced on occasion because of bad weather and the short-term nature of many construction jobs. Hourly wage rates for apprentices usually start at 40 to 50 percent of the rate for experienced workers and increase periodically.
Some painters and paperhangers are members of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades. Some maintenance painters are members of other unions.
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