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Taping & texture
Drywall Finisher
Piece rate, and the finish is judged under a bright light.
Typical pay
$38k-$80k
How you get in
On the job, 6 months to 2 years
Outlook
Steady with construction and renovation
Drywall finishers tape, mud and sand walls to a paintable surface. Almost all of it is piece rate, which means speed is income, and Level 5 finish work is where the skilled money is.
A day in the life
- 6:30aMix mud and set up staging
- 7:00aTape joints and coat corner bead
- 10:00aSecond coat where yesterday has dried
- 12:00pLunch
- 12:30pSkim and feather the finish coats
- 3:30pSand, then light-check every wall for imperfections
How to get in
Helper to finisher
Duration
6-18 months
Cost
$0 — paid from day one
Credential
None
- Start stocking board and mixing mud for a finishing crew
- Learn taping, then coating, then the finish work
- Speed comes with repetition — the first year is slow and that is normal
- Move to your own rooms on piece rate
Union apprenticeship
Duration
3-4 years
Cost
$0 — paid while you train
Credential
Journeyman tapefinisher
- Apply to a painters and allied trades local
- Complete paid apprenticeship with classroom work
- Learn commercial standards including Level 5 finishes
- Union commercial work pays hourly rather than piece rate
Independent contractor
Duration
2-4 years of experience
Cost
$2,000-$12,000 for tools and a vehicle
Credential
Business license and liability insurance
- Build speed and a clean finish working for a crew
- Learn to bid by the square foot accurately
- Register and insure the business
- Build relationships with builders and remodelers for steady work
What people love
- · Learn on the job with no schooling
- · Piece rate rewards speed directly
- · Very low startup cost to go independent
- · Level 5 and custom texture work pays well
What wears people down
- · Dust exposure requires real respiratory protection
- · Shoulders and elbows take a beating overhead
- · Piece rate punishes slow or complicated jobs
- · Callbacks for visible seams are on you