In the right market you can make really good money. It's not for me but if you like it. My drywaller could pull down $150,000/yr if he was more ambitious.

 

Hey guys, I recently started an apprenticeship for a interior systems mechanic position (fancy name for drywaller I suppose) and I was wondering how it is for a long term career? I like working with my hands and working hard through the day so that part is A-okay with me, but I was wondering more so about the future outlook on the type of work and the type of pay I will be expecting. Is the job security there and will I be making a decent living out of it? Thanks!

In the right market you can make really good money. It's not for me but if you like it. My drywaller could pull down $150,000/yr if he was more ambitious.

Is this assuming that you have your own local business and doing a TON of overtime? After you get your ticket I believe my company pays 31.50$/hr which is not too bad but seems vastly underpaid compared to almost every other trade which is kind of discouraging. I wish I could just figure out this whole career thing out haha.

 

Is this assuming that you have your own local business and doing a TON of overtime? After you get your ticket I believe my company pays 31.50$/hr which is not too bad but seems vastly underpaid compared to almost every other trade which is kind of discouraging. I wish I could just figure out this whole career thing out haha.

Self-employed so no Benefits but you can buy your own with that money. 5-6 days a week. My finisher can do a $3000 finish job in under a week by himself.

 

Wow 150k, the for men's in my area at the company I was at least make about 80k with maximum over time

 

I could never do drywall all day everyday!! 4x8 sheets all day everyday:blink: Do you still have to qualify by drinking budlight all day and chain smoking?? I think drywall sucks!! Oh and at first all you seem to ever do is mover the crap around while the older guys hang it. Oh but after you get good at moving it and new guys come in they will let you start screwing it off,,,,oh joy:w00t:
If you like working with your hands and making nice things stay away from drywall,, oh unless you get into the artsy side of it,,,,

 

Ditto...I've absolutely seen finishers here do $3-4k jobs in 5 days...they aren't sitting still though. I finally found one finisher that simply works 5 days a week, 40 hour weeks and is busy as could be, he wants 8 weeks notice if possible...but he actually shows up and presses jobs onward every day...I pay a little premium to have that happen, but I'll gladly throw $500-1000 extra if the guy shows up and works normal hours and doesn't just show up when he decides to wake up and never gets anything done!

 

In terms of 'Glory Jobs' in the trades, LOL that feeling is short lived. A good clean tight hanging job is more beautiful than the final product, IMO. Satisfaction comes from what you get accomplished-how much you change the environment. Open studs to rooms can be as satisfying as framing the house.

If you have a genuine interest in finishing, not the perception of it, look into what it 'it'll take to get your company or organization moving you to finishing. May have to prove you you're dedicated by hanging rock for a while. Nothing wrong with mastering hanging before you go on to finishing. Crappily hung board, really really really takes the Joy out of finishing

Starting out no matter where you end up hanging/finishing, becoming a depndable and valued employee is job #1. Satisfaction in being that will take you that extra distance beyond mastering a trade.

Good Luck

 

In terms of 'Glory Jobs' in the trades, LOL that feeling is short lived. A good clean tight hanging job is more beautiful than the final product, IMO. Satisfaction comes from what you get accomplished-how much you change the environment. Open studs to rooms can be as satisfying as framing the house.

If you have a genuine interest in finishing, not the perception of it, look into what it 'it'll take to get your company or organization moving you to finishing. May have to prove you you're dedicated by hanging rock for a while. Nothing wrong with mastering hanging before you go on to finishing. Crappily hung board, really really really takes the Joy out of finishing

Starting out no matter where you end up hanging/finishing, becoming a depndable and valued employee is job #1. Satisfaction in being that will take you that extra distance beyond mastering a trade.

Good Luck

Thanks for the great advice. I don't know, even from my first day on the job my eyes kept going back to watching what the tapers were doing. Seeing the strokes and layers of mud filling joints/screw holes alone was extremely satisfying to me (maybe some kind of OCD lol). I think even as a hanger my favourite part currently is seeing the screws perfectly apart from eachother or sweeping the dust at the end of the day and seeing the strokes LOL.

I guess I just don't want to waste my boss' time, don't want him to put me through school and invest in me just to tell him I want to be a taper instead. So it makes me feel like I have to decide sooner or later.

 

Thanks for the great advice. I don't know, even from my first day on the job my eyes kept going back to watching what the tapers were doing. Seeing the strokes and layers of mud filling joints/screw holes alone was extremely satisfying to me (maybe some kind of OCD lol). I think even as a hanger my favourite part currently is seeing the screws perfectly apart from eachother or sweeping the dust at the end of the day and seeing the strokes LOL.

I guess I just don't want to waste my boss' time, don't want him to put me through school and invest in me just to tell him I want to be a taper instead. So it makes me feel like I have to decide sooner or later.

Put you though school? I though not attending school was how you become a drywaller.

Lel. Well not sure if it's different in Canada. It's a fully recognized trade by the name of "interior systems mechanic" or "lather".

 

Lel. Well not sure if it's different in Canada. It's a fully recognized trade by the name of "interior systems mechanic" or "lather".

Where are you located?

Around here its not given the epitome of respect.

Yeah all I hear about drywallers are bad things. Saying how it's a skilless trade and for dumb people which is kind of discouraging. I live in Manitoba

 

IMO, anyone who is strong and likes to hustle can learn to be a top notch hanger. Some people will never be top notch finishers.

 

Finish high school or finish drywall.

 

I'll gladly hang drywall but I flat out suck at finishing I gladly bring in a sub and pay him really good money to tape, float and texture. He makes good money and stays busy because he's good at what he does and does what he says he'll do, and I get to focus on what I'm good at.

That's the trick. Know what you're good at and what your not. While at the same time learning how to do all of it (or as much as possible). The real money comes when you can start focusing in on your best skill sets.

 

My advice would be to finish your apprenticeship.. even if you only want to finish drywall (Is it just me or would that not get a bit boring after a few years?) then yeah focus on being good at that.. but having a ticket and having a higher skill level- steel stud framing, T-bar, doors, whatever else, as well as mudding- .. will get you hired faster, for more money, and with more responsibility. Have you tried framing, or ceiling installs? doors? I'd rather do that than drywall finishing personally, although that said nothing wrong with mudding, and I have always had a lot of respect for those I've worked with who could do a meticulous clean job, I learned a lot and improved my mudding a lot from them.

For all we know as well- If construction techniques change, new construction may not involve drywall tapers. Not tomorrow, but at some point, and you sound like you are young and just getting into it.

At least get your ticket. If you love finishing, then start your own business and earn a reputation as someone who does high end finishing work.

 

.
Yeah ive done layouts, steel studs, door frames and ceilings.

I just hear that taping takes years of practice to actually get good and fast at so if that is something I want to do I'd prefer to start practicing asap. I guess I just don't want to be in that position where I spend the next 4 years and get my ticket to realize I wanted something else.

 

Yeah it would probably take a couple/few years of doing it full time, to get really good and fast at it. I've done a bunch of it over the years, doing renovations-enough to be able to do nice clean work. Although I would probably be slow as hell at it compared to a pro who does it day in and day out.


As I said, nothing wrong with taping. Personally I would complete the apprenticeship and get the red seal, then focus on taping. More skills and abilities, more education and training on a resume. Especially if you have an employer who will pay for it? you also collect a bunch of grants from the Gov't when going through the program.

I did an apprenticeship, have my red seal in carpentry and it has been well worth it. I guess what I am trying to say is get as much as you can under your belt while you are younger.. it would suck to limit yourself in the future.. There may come a time when you really don't want to finish drywall anymore. I would also advise you to take some courses in business and accounting, if you wish to be self employed.

Sounds like you have your mind made up about it though.. good luck with whatever you choose..

 

I guess I just have it in my head that I'm late to the game starting an apprenticeship at 24. Sometimes I wish I could see into the future 5 years and see what happens with each decision haha.

My mind isn't completely made up yet, your points make a lot of logical sense, it's exactly what I'd do for sure if I was still 18. Finish the 4 year apprenticeship then work on becoming a talented taper. At the end of the day I just want to be able to look at my life and be proud of what I achieved, growing up with a very hard family kind of threw me through a loop of lack of confidence and self respect and I'm on my own journey to build it back up for myself.

 

What you may want to do, to keep options open- Find a self employed taper who will give you work on Saturdays. Get a taste of finishing drywall, while you do the apprenticeship. Once you get to a certain point, you can start doing your own gig on the side, and decide exactly what you want to do everyday.

Also-3 or 4 years goes really quick. I wouldn't worry too much about spending time doing the schooling, at your age..

It also really depends on if you want to work for yourself, or have an employer. There are benefits to both. If you want to work for someone else, having the ticket means you will be able to get into better positions- union or otherwise- the type of jobs that have benefits, dental, RRSP matching, etc. Probably better pay starting out than without it.

Some residential drywallers doing contract work do make good money, but they hustle. Others struggle check to check.. no guarantees when you work for yourself, you have to make it happen, and figure out how to make it happen.

 

Nobody goes to school for drywall here.. Unless you are in the union.

 

Sounds like the "interior Systems" is more than drywalling..

also includes steel stud framing, layout, suspended ceiling, doors, door hardware.. sounds more like commercial carpenter training..

 

I guess now that I think about it it's
basically carpentry but with steel and drywall. Journeyman rate is 31$ i believe, other names are "lather"!

 

For 31 bucks an hr. I say go for it:thumbsup:

 

For 31 bucks an hr. I say go for it

I guess it's not a bad earning. Still would like to hit those 40$+ like some trades ;(. I guess theres always side jobs if I feel like it.

 

I've been in the drywall trade through most of my carpenter career about 25 years, I don't care for resedental hanging cause all you do is hang, I done it for a few years, a lot harder on your body to,then I got into commerical, when you're a commercial drywaller you frame interior, exterior steel studs, elevator shaft walls, frame sofits set door jambs and do drop ceilings, I'm 47 and the last few years I just frame not a lot of hanging

 

If you want to eventually be your own boss, I would have to say with my experience in many different trades. I would never wanted to make a career out of any of them working for somebody else.

 

Out here on the military tracks the guys really get it wired.

 

Out here on the military tracks the guys really get it wired.
https://youtu.be/vx7MiAsDrZY

That's fun to watch. First I've seen guys run coil cords off their belts like that. Pretty cool. I wonder how well those screws were getting set...lol

 

of course it is. But anything can only be a good career if you enjoy it enough to stick around long enough to become a veteran

 

Our friends to the north have a different idea about construction education. Down here you don't need a red card to hang drywall. Your suppose to have a green card! Not sure everybody does... That type of competition, helps hold the wages down. It's a young mans game! and if I had to do it every day,.... I'd eat a bullet! All the tappers use box tools and bazookas. Shorter learning curve. I think it a two day apprenticeship. Bi-lingual is a big + starts at 10 bucks an hour, under the table.:thumbup: I was self employed for over 35 years. I don't think I picked the job, as much as it picked me! I started in the union in the early 70s, for the MONEY! and stayed not because I loved it, but because it was the job I hated the least. My advice, would be to get a state job!

 

All the tappers use box tools and bazookas. Shorter learning curve. I think it a two day apprenticeship.

:laughing::laughing:

I would NOT like to be the painter following you after you got your drywall training!!! :whistling

kimchi... If you think you want to be a drywaller.... get your carpenter ticket first (once you have that its there for life) then go get a job with a drywall company and do it all, insulation, boarding, taping and ceiling finishes. Then you can decide if it is for you!!

I started drywalling when I was 16 working on a crew that I got a percentage of the profit. We always worked piece work so you learn to be efficient and do it right the first time so very few call backs, which we did not get paid for if they were from our ineptness. I started my own company when I was 25 and made a very good living for the next 20 years until my body said "No more!!" although I still love the work.

So the way I see it.... do what you enjoy!! There is more to life than making money as long as you are making a living.

 

Ive got work and landed two more jobs tonight.But weathers been so bad we cant get footings in and get anything started.

Weve been able to do a couple of chimney repairs and get them wrapped up.

Ive got two stone fireplaces to do but im waiting for the mantels to come in

 

Ive been working in the shop and office everyday and meeting people but not getting any money coming in.