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Hand Lettering Jobs in Ashburn, VA (NOW HIRING)

Decorative Plasterer

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$36.49 - $42.63/hr

  • PTO

Applies color glazing, graining, lettering, marbling, stenciling, stippling, and striping. Paints ... Uses sprayers, brushes, rollers, and other hand and power tools. Uses ladders and scaffolding to ...

Hand Lettering information

See Ashburn, VA salary details

$10

$17

$24

How much do hand lettering jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average hourly pay for hand lettering in Ashburn, VA is $17.78, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.76 and $19.90 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges hand lettering artists face when working on client projects?

Hand lettering artists often encounter challenges such as interpreting a client's vision accurately, managing revisions, and meeting tight deadlines. Balancing creative expression with brand guidelines or specific client requirements can be demanding. Additionally, hand letterers must ensure their work translates well across various mediums, such as digital and print, which sometimes requires adapting their techniques or using specialized software.

What is hand lettering?

Hand lettering is the art of drawing letters by hand, rather than using pre-existing fonts or typefaces. Unlike traditional calligraphy, which relies on specific strokes and tools, hand lettering focuses on creating custom letterforms and unique designs for each piece. Artists often use pencils, pens, markers, or brushes to craft decorative words or phrases for things like signs, invitations, logos, and artwork. Hand lettering allows for a high level of creativity and personalization, making each project unique.

What is the difference between Hand Lettering vs Calligraphy?

AspectHand LetteringCalligraphy
Skills & TechniquesDrawing and designing custom letterforms by hand, often with digital toolsCreating decorative, stylized writing with specific brush or pen strokes
Tools & MaterialsPencils, markers, digital tabletsBrush pens, dip pens, ink
Work EnvironmentDesign studios, freelance, digital platformsArt studios, wedding invitations, formal events
Industry UsageBranding, logos, custom artworkWedding invitations, certificates, formal documents

While both Hand Lettering and Calligraphy involve beautiful lettering, Hand Lettering focuses on creating custom letterforms through drawing and design, often combining digital and traditional tools. Calligraphy emphasizes stylized writing with specific strokes and tools, typically used for formal or decorative writing. Understanding these differences helps clients choose the right artist for their project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a hand lettering artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Hand Lettering Artist, you need a strong foundation in typography, drawing skills, and design principles, often supported by a portfolio of creative work. Familiarity with digital illustration tools like Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, and traditional materials such as brush pens and paper is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and patience are essential soft skills for producing unique and polished lettering pieces. These skills and qualities are important because they enable artists to create visually appealing and professional work that meets client or project needs.

What are popular job titles related to Hand Lettering jobs in Ashburn, VA?

For Hand Lettering jobs in Ashburn, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Hand Lettering jobs in Ashburn, VA look for?

The top searched job categories for Hand Lettering jobs in Ashburn, VA are:

Decorative Plasterer

Architect of the Capitol

Washington, DC • On-site, Remote

$36.49 - $42.63/hr

Full-time

PTO

Re-posted 21 days ago


Architect Of The Capitol rating

9.3

Company rating: 9.3 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

38th of 846 rated public administrative organizations


Job description

Summary
This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Chief of Operations, Superintendent, Senate Office Buildings, Tenant Services Division, Masonry Branch. As a Decorative Plasterer (Painter) you will perform intricate painting and decorative work requiring skill to restore decorative surfaces.
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Duties
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TOUR OF DUTY: DAY SHIFT (6:00 A.M. - 2:30 P.M.) with the possibility of a flex work schedule.
Major Duties:
Surface Preparation and Plastering Work:
Works on additions, renovations, patching, and new construction. Performs maintenance and repair on unique and historically significant plaster walls, ceilings, cornices, and moldings. Prepares surfaces for coating. Prepares woodwork by applying solvents to remove old finishes. Takes care to avoid damaging significant architectural features.
Removes old paint from interior and exterior walls, doors, baseboards, floors, and interior trim. Scrapes, sandpapers, or applies paint remover as needed to prepare surfaces for refinishing.
Tapes, mortars or applies topping cement to joints between dry-wall board sheets to fill joints and nail heads and bring joints into smooth, even planes. Smooths surfaces by wet brushing and sanding.
Applies plaster to walls and ceilings by spreading and smoothing plaster over laths with trowel. Applies decorative plaster in ornate and patterned finishes to exactly match the previous finish. Uses trowels, float, screed, plasterers hawk, straight edge, and personally-devised tools as appropriate.
Repairs ceiling centers, ceiling panels, columns, corbel arches, corbel blocks, cornices, edge moldings, gable trims, molded carvings, pedestals, pediments, pilasters, plaster domes, and plaster fire surrounds. Fabricates and installs replacements for these items as needed. Repairs and patches plaster and stucco surfaces. Applies plaster on metal, wood or gypsum lathe, wallboard, and masonry surfaces. Patches damaged sections of walls and ceilings. Chips out old plaster, trims edges until a solid joint is found, and fills with new plaster. Straightens edges and trowels to an even surface.
Applies interior and exterior skim-coat and two-coat plaster. Installs metal lath and applies exterior plaster. Applies striping, stippling, graining, and gold highlights on trim moldings.
Plumbs and straightens angles, ceilings, corners, and wall surfaces. Cleans and prepares surfaces. Staples on wire-mesh frames or roughens surfaces with mechanical hammers. Ensures maintenance of fire-rated wall barriers.
Erects, maintains, and repairs masonry, including brick, concrete block, glazed tile, floor tile, and marble.
Performs intricate decorative painting work requiring skill to apply gold leaf and other coatings to restore decorative surfaces and works of art. Uses artist brushes for intricate painting and decorative work. Applies color glazing, graining, lettering, marbling, stenciling, stippling, and striping. Paints and varnishes interior surfaces to protect, restore, and maintain interior and exterior surfaces. Applies paints, stains, and varnishes by brushing, rolling, or spraying. Applies finishes to equipment, metal, doors, windows, and interior and exterior walls.
Matches color, textures, and shading where exact matches with original finishes are required. Blends and mixes paints to match original colors and textures of original surfaces and architectural features.
Hangs wall coverings matching new wallpaper and fabric patterns and fabrics to the original. Paints building signs from stenciled outlines.
Uses sprayers, brushes, rollers, and other hand and power tools. Uses ladders and scaffolding to reach ceilings and other areas high above the floor. Cleans and maintains tools and equipment as appropriate.
Coordinates with unit supervisor to prepare scopes of work, cost estimates, and schedules of proposed work to be performed by contract workers. Oversees and directs the work of temporary painters and laborers.
Uses a personal computer to record work orders, prepare requisitions for materials, tools, and equipment, track material inventory, and communicate with supervisors and organizational staff.
The incumbent must follow all relevant safety rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures. Must utilize knowledge of and must comply with all OSHA safety rules and regulations to ensure that work progresses in a safe manner. Receives training, either on the job or through classroom training, to ensure that all safety practices and equipment are fully utilized. Must ensure the use of any required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate job-related elements.

"To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:
  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States."

Qualifications
You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.
SCREEN-OUT FACTOR: Ability to perform the work of a decorative plasterer without more than normal supervision, which includes working independently, showing job responsibility and exercising initiative.
Education
There is no educational requirement for this position.
Additional information
Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6.
If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System.
DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm
The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Moving expenses are not authorized.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.
This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.
All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Selected applicant(s) may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate credit towards annual leave accrual based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credit will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant profile submitted. As such, if you are a new employee to the Federal Government or a rehire, it is important that you provide a work history that lists all directly related positions held, and it must include the dates of employment (month/day/year).
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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