Job Overview Workers who plan and carry out installation of drywall panels over the interior walls, ceiling surfaces of buildings, residential and commercial structures area called drywall installers and drywall finishers. At present, there are approximately 196,000 drywall installers and finishers employed and self employed in the United States.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
If you wish to build a career in this field, take as many subjects in technology and mathematics as early as high school. There is no specific postsecondary requirements to be able to enter the field. Most of the drywall installers and finishers get trained on the job itself by starting as helpers who help experienced installers and finishers and get their trainings from them directly.
Skills and Abilities
Drywall installers and finishers should know how to follow instructions well. They should have good measuring ability and be able to accurately mark the desired areas to be panelled. Mechanical and manipulative skills which are manifested by the uswe of several measuring and cutting tools should be well developed to perform the tasks involved in this job as well.
Duties
Drywall panels offer different protection to the surfaces such as moisture resistance, fire resistance and other characteristics. Present drywall panels consist of a thinklayer of gypsum plaster in between two sheets of durable and heavy paper material. These are being manufactured in stadard sizes and should be cut into pieces for ease of handling. These pieces will then be fitted togehter over the entire surface of the wall or ceiling and even on the odd areas such as the soffits partitions and shafts. The work of a a drywall installer revolves around measuring the surface in need of panelling with the use of chalk and marker guides for better accuracy, and then cutting the panels and fitting the panels carefully and accurately onto it.
Crywall finishers or "tapers" do the finishing touches of the panels applied. They seal and conceal the joints to make them look perfect for the upcoming papering and painting.
Earnings and Job Outlook
The annual income for a drywall installer and finishers avery widely depending on factors such as the employer, the location of work as well as the skills and years of experience of the worker.The median income for these workers points to 34,000 U.S. dollars annually. On an hourly basis, their average rate is around 16.67 U.S. dollars per hour. The range of income starts from 10.00 U.S dollars per hour to 28.00 U.S. dollars per hour. The job outlook however is predicted to move slowly than the average for all the occupations until th year 2014. Despite this prediction, the increase in new construction and remodelling will provide the applicants more opportunities for work more specially in the metropolitan areas.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.