In the U.S., not many people consider themselves to be architectural color
designers. "There are very few of us," says Bob Buckter. He is an architectural
color designer in San Francisco. He says there may be a few in very large
architectural firms, but he doubts there are many.
Architectural color consultant James Martin works in Colorado. He says
he can count on one hand how many people he knows in his line of work. "It's
not a common thing," he adds.
Although very few architectural color designers exist, the demand for their
skills is growing.
"In some respects, it's becoming more of an in thing," says Frances Kerr.
She is a color consultant in Pennsylvania. But she says it's not a profession
that can just be learned out of a book. People have to have the knack for
it, says Kerr, and it takes years of experience working with clients, colors
and paint to really understand the art of color consultation.
"It's not a way to make yourself rich unless you luck out," says Kerr.
She says some jobs are charged by the hour. Others are flat amounts with minimum
fees.
Buckter says one person he knows of in his profession charges a minimum
of $5,000 per job. Kerr says wages can really vary, depending on how much
work you're willing to take on. But she stresses that many people she knows
only work at this part time.
Earnings and employment information from the U.S. Department of Labor is
not available for this field at this time.