Salaries for Car Airbrushers
Car airbrushers are automotive body professionals who design and implement custom paint designs on vehicles. Along with applying custom paint designs with airbrushes and other industrial paint application tools, these automotive body experts also repair damaged paint jobs and physical damage to vehicle bodies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies car auto body refinishers as "automotive body and related repairers."
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Salary
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According to May, 2010 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, auto body repair and refinishers earn an annual mean wage of $41,270. This factors out to an hourly wage of $19.84 when calculated across a standard 40-hour work week, before deductions for taxes and benefits. Professionals in the occupation's lowest earnings percentile, such as individuals with entry-level positions in sanding and masking, earn $11.05 per hour or $22,990 annually. Skilled painters with earnings in the field's highest wage percentile average up to $30.92 per hour, or $64,320 annually.
Industry Salary Comparison
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The majority of auto airbrush painters are employed in the automotive repair and maintenance industry. Over 90,000 people were employed as auto body repairers in that industry as of 2010. Body repair professionals in the repair field earn $40,720 per year, or $19.57 annually, according to federal data. Automobile dealers employ the nation's second largest contingent of auto body repairers, where they are paid an average annual salary of $43,190 per year or $20.76 per hour.
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Salary By State
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Automotive body repairers in Alaska earn the highest annual mean wage among the occupation. Car body repairers in Alaska earn an average $54,210 per year, or $26.06 per hour. Car auto paint technicians in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan district earn the highest wages in the occupation in any U.S. city with an average rate of $25.74 per hour or $53,530 per year. States offering less than $36,000 per year for workers in the automotive body occupation include West Virginia, Mississippi and South Dakota.
Relevant Background and Skills
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While no formal education is required for aspiring car airbrushers, entry-level experience in sanding, masking or car detailing is often a plus for applicants. In addition to keen attention to detail, automotive body technicians must also have \technological and computer skills, as the majority of modern equipment and paint matching technologies are computer-based. Excellent interpersonal communication skills also benefit applicants given the occupation's potential for interaction with various shop members and customers.
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