Paperhangers
Paperhangers (SOC 47-2142) earn a median $52,140 a year ($25.07 an hour) in the United States, with 1,570 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What paperhangers do
Paperhangers dress the interior walls and ceilings of rooms in decorative wallpaper or fabric, and attach advertising posters to surfaces such as walls and billboards. They may remove old materials or prepare the surface to be papered first. Vertical guidelines are marked with a plumb bob and chalk line so the strips align, and strips are measured and cut from rolls with shears or razors. Adhesive is brushed on the backs of the strips, or prepasted wallcovering is dunked in water and the excess wiped off. Each strip is smoothed with a brush or roller to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth the joints, and rough edges are trimmed with a straightedge and trimming knife, with excess at ceilings and baseboards cut off. Pattern matching and alignment are checked on the finished wallcovering. Painters (47-2141) are a separate occupation, and bill poster and billboard poster are among the job titles listed for this work.
Typical entry: Most workers in this occupation report a high school diploma or equivalent as their level of education, according to O*NET.
Also called: Advertising Installer, Advertising Poster, Bill Board Poster, Bill Poster, Bill Poster Installer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.32 | $21.58 | $25.07 | $28.93 | $33.20 | $25.83 | 1,570 |
| Annual | $36,020 | $44,890 | $52,140 | $60,180 | $69,050 | $53,730 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where paperhangers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $27.73 | $29.06 | $30.19 | $34.96 | $46.69 | $34.03 | 130 | 0.01 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $57,690 | $60,440 | $62,790 | $72,710 | $97,120 | $70,790 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $22.13 | $23.83 | $29.71 | $30.57 | $30.57 | $27.67 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $46,030 | $49,570 | $61,800 | $63,590 | $63,590 | $57,550 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.06 | $27.52 | $28.96 | $31.84 | $36.60 | $29.83 | 300 | 0.03 | 3.10 |
| Annual | $52,130 | $57,230 | $60,230 | $66,230 | $76,130 | $62,040 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $24.98 | $25.37 | $28.63 | $30.44 | $33.12 | $28.27 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $51,970 | $52,760 | $59,560 | $63,310 | $68,890 | $58,790 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $19.87 | $20.84 | $26.35 | $27.21 | $29.12 | $24.78 | 70 | 0.02 | 2.04 |
| Annual | $41,330 | $43,340 | $54,810 | $56,590 | $60,570 | $51,530 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.06 | $27.52 | $28.96 | $31.84 | $36.60 | $29.83 | 300 | 0.03 | 3.10 |
| Annual | $52,130 | $57,230 | $60,230 | $66,230 | $76,130 | $62,040 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $27.73 | $29.06 | $30.19 | $34.96 | $46.69 | $34.03 | 130 | 0.01 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $57,690 | $60,440 | $62,790 | $72,710 | $97,120 | $70,790 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $20.58 | $21.54 | $23.17 | $28.15 | $28.15 | $24.03 | 130 | 0.04 | 4.38 |
| Annual | $42,810 | $44,800 | $48,180 | $58,550 | $58,550 | $49,970 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $12.05 | $17.27 | $23.36 | $24.61 | $28.17 | $21.39 | 100 | 0.02 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $25,070 | $35,930 | $48,590 | $51,190 | $58,600 | $44,500 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $19.87 | $20.84 | $26.35 | $27.21 | $29.12 | $24.78 | 70 | 0.02 | 2.04 |
| Annual | $41,330 | $43,340 | $54,810 | $56,590 | $60,570 | $51,530 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $32.15 | $32.37 | $34.27 | $34.96 | $53.00 | $37.60 | 30 | 0.01 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $66,860 | $67,330 | $71,270 | $72,710 | $110,240 | $78,210 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.06 | $27.52 | $30.50 | $34.06 | $36.60 | $31.29 | 220 | 0.02 | 2.25 |
| Annual | $52,130 | $57,230 | $63,450 | $70,840 | $76,130 | $65,090 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $24.98 | $25.37 | $28.84 | $30.44 | $33.48 | $28.67 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $51,970 | $52,760 | $59,990 | $63,310 | $69,640 | $59,640 | ||||
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | Hourly | $22.13 | $28.15 | $28.15 | $28.15 | $28.15 | $27.39 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $46,030 | $58,550 | $58,550 | $58,550 | $58,550 | $56,980 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.06 | $27.52 | $30.50 | $34.06 | $36.60 | $31.29 | 220 | 0.02 | 2.25 |
| Annual | $52,130 | $57,230 | $63,450 | $70,840 | $76,130 | $65,090 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $32.15 | $32.37 | $34.27 | $34.96 | $53.00 | $37.60 | 30 | 0.01 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $66,860 | $67,330 | $71,270 | $72,710 | $110,240 | $78,210 | ||||
Top industries employing paperhangers
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services employ 64.3% of paperhangers nationally (1,010 jobs) at a median $51,480 a year ($24.75 an hour), followed by Building Finishing Contractors (19.1%) and Building Material and Supplies Dealers (3.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800 | 1,010 | 64.3% | $51,480 | $24.75 |
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 300 | 19.1% | $59,320 | $28.52 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers NAICS 444100 | 60 | 3.8% | $53,560 | $25.75 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing NAICS 339900 | 30 | 1.9% | $53,290 | $25.62 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (1,570). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,610 for paperhangers in May 2021 and $52,140 in May 2025, with employment of 2,340 and 1,570.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,610 | $22.89 | 2,340 |
| May 2022 | $44,930 | $21.60 | 2,220 |
| May 2023 | $48,460 | $23.30 | 1,830 |
| May 2024 | $48,260 | $23.20 | 1,520 |
| May 2025 | $52,140 | $25.07 | 1,570 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
13 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $30.19 | $62,790 | $57,690 | $97,120 | 130 | 0.01 | 0.69 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.71 | $61,800 | $46,030 | $63,590 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.53 |
| 3 | New York profile | $28.96 | $60,230 | $52,130 | $76,130 | 300 | 0.03 | 3.10 |
| 4 | Missouri profile | $28.63 | $59,560 | $51,970 | $68,890 | ** | ** | ** |
| 5 | Indiana profile | $26.35 | $54,810 | $41,330 | $60,570 | 70 | 0.02 | 2.04 |
| 6 | Wisconsin profile | $24.76 | $51,500 | $35,060 | $59,990 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | Florida profile | $23.45 | $48,780 | $27,730 | $51,490 | 30 | 0.00 | 0.35 |
| 8 | North Carolina profile | $23.36 | $48,590 | $25,070 | $58,600 | 100 | 0.02 | 2.00 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $23.17 | $48,180 | $42,810 | $58,550 | 130 | 0.04 | 4.38 |
| 10 | Ohio profile | $23.00 | $47,830 | $44,050 | $60,180 | 70 | 0.01 | 1.32 |
| 11 | South Carolina profile | $22.50 | $46,800 | $42,730 | $59,920 | 50 | 0.02 | 2.12 |
| 12 | Washington profile | $22.24 | $46,270 | $44,160 | $73,720 | ** | ** | ** |
| 13 | Tennessee profile | $22.12 | $46,010 | $40,410 | $51,040 | 40 | 0.01 | 1.14 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-2140), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2142 Paperhangers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2142, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2142.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.