Tapers
Tapers (SOC 47-2082) earn a median $68,270 a year ($32.82 an hour) in the United States, with 12,840 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Illinois.
What tapers do
Tapers prepare installed wallboard for painting or papering by sealing the joints between boards or panels. They spread sealing compound between boards and over cracks, holes, nail heads and screw heads using trowels, broadknives or spatulas, press paper tape into the compound to embed it and seal the joint, and then spread and smooth cementing material over the tape with trowels or floating machines so the joint blends with the wall surface. Additional coats fill in holes and make the surface smooth, and nicks or cracks in the wallboard are sanded or patched. Compounds are mixed by hand or with portable electric mixers. Work on high ceilings is done from scaffolding or on stilts. Tapers work after drywall installers (47-2081) and before painters (47-2141), and drywall finisher, spackler and drywall taper are titles for the same 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: Drywall Finisher, Drywall Mechanic, Drywall Taper, Finisher, Sheet Rock Taper.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $21.00 | $25.35 | $32.82 | $42.57 | $51.50 | $34.96 | 12,840 |
| Annual | $43,670 | $52,730 | $68,270 | $88,540 | $107,110 | $72,710 | ||
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 tapers 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 | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $38.09 | $49.99 | $54.41 | $54.68 | $56.01 | $51.63 | 320 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $79,230 | $103,990 | $113,180 | $113,730 | $116,500 | $107,380 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $23.50 | $45.81 | $45.91 | $48.43 | $48.85 | $42.68 | 170 | 0.27 | 3.22 |
| Annual | $48,890 | $95,290 | $95,490 | $100,740 | $101,610 | $88,780 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.10 | $22.29 | $39.54 | $46.37 | $50.57 | $36.68 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.11 |
| Annual | $37,650 | $46,360 | $82,240 | $96,450 | $105,190 | $76,290 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.35 | $29.15 | $38.00 | $40.86 | $49.94 | $37.05 | 1,550 | 0.44 | 5.30 |
| Annual | $50,650 | $60,630 | $79,040 | $85,000 | $103,880 | $77,070 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $34.73 | $37.54 | $37.54 | $39.16 | $42.97 | $38.43 | 220 | 0.08 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $72,230 | $78,080 | $78,090 | $81,440 | $89,370 | $79,930 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.02 | $28.73 | $35.32 | $42.57 | $55.47 | $36.67 | 4,540 | 0.25 | 3.02 |
| Annual | $45,800 | $59,760 | $73,460 | $88,540 | $115,370 | $76,260 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.35 | $29.15 | $38.00 | $40.86 | $49.94 | $37.05 | 1,550 | 0.44 | 5.30 |
| Annual | $50,650 | $60,630 | $79,040 | $85,000 | $103,880 | $77,070 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $21.08 | $23.10 | $29.18 | $37.76 | $48.60 | $31.72 | 1,190 | 0.77 | 9.26 |
| Annual | $43,840 | $48,040 | $60,690 | $78,540 | $101,090 | $65,990 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $19.12 | $21.54 | $27.07 | $31.17 | $36.83 | $27.83 | 780 | 0.24 | 2.92 |
| Annual | $39,780 | $44,800 | $56,300 | $64,840 | $76,610 | $57,890 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $18.11 | $19.71 | $31.28 | $51.49 | $55.48 | $35.37 | 510 | 0.14 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $37,670 | $40,990 | $65,060 | $107,100 | $115,390 | $73,580 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $38.09 | $52.54 | $54.41 | $54.79 | $56.01 | $50.78 | 290 | 0.07 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $79,230 | $109,280 | $113,180 | $113,950 | $116,500 | $105,620 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $23.50 | $45.81 | $45.91 | $48.43 | $48.85 | $42.69 | 160 | 0.37 | 4.46 |
| Annual | $48,890 | $95,290 | $95,490 | $100,740 | $101,610 | $88,800 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $39.54 | $40.34 | $45.68 | $46.05 | $50.57 | $42.89 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.21 |
| Annual | $82,240 | $83,910 | $95,010 | $95,790 | $105,190 | $89,200 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $31.57 | $35.02 | $44.62 | $63.06 | $64.37 | $47.92 | 480 | 0.42 | 5.09 |
| Annual | $65,670 | $72,830 | $92,810 | $131,170 | $133,880 | $99,680 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $28.00 | $28.12 | $44.47 | $45.75 | $48.50 | $39.67 | 360 | 0.30 | 3.63 |
| Annual | $58,240 | $58,490 | $92,490 | $95,150 | $100,880 | $82,520 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.52 | $26.61 | $32.70 | $38.71 | $54.73 | $35.49 | 1,220 | 0.20 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $46,850 | $55,340 | $68,020 | $80,510 | $113,830 | $73,810 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $25.35 | $31.60 | $38.63 | $45.37 | $50.01 | $39.14 | 1,120 | 0.54 | 6.47 |
| Annual | $52,730 | $65,720 | $80,340 | $94,380 | $104,030 | $81,400 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $22.00 | $23.22 | $29.17 | $46.24 | $48.74 | $32.38 | 900 | 0.80 | 9.63 |
| Annual | $45,750 | $48,290 | $60,670 | $96,180 | $101,380 | $67,360 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $18.67 | $22.02 | $28.72 | $36.26 | $48.13 | $29.82 | 730 | 0.43 | 5.14 |
| Annual | $38,820 | $45,800 | $59,740 | $75,410 | $100,110 | $62,030 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $19.94 | $22.49 | $29.06 | $31.59 | $36.84 | $28.59 | 610 | 0.26 | 3.11 |
| Annual | $41,460 | $46,790 | $60,430 | $65,710 | $76,620 | $59,480 | ||||
Top industries employing tapers
Building Finishing Contractors employ 84.3% of tapers nationally (10,820 jobs) at a median $70,380 a year ($33.84 an hour), followed by Nonresidential Building Construction (9.2%) and Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors (1.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 10,820 | 84.3% | $70,380 | $33.84 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 1,180 | 9.2% | $68,140 | $32.76 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100 | 190 | 1.5% | $76,290 | $36.68 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction NAICS 237300 | 50 | 0.4% | $100,820 | $48.47 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,840). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,080 for tapers in May 2021 and $68,270 in May 2025, with employment of 14,580 and 12,840.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,080 | $29.37 | 14,580 |
| May 2022 | $62,360 | $29.98 | 14,290 |
| May 2023 | $63,350 | $30.46 | 15,560 |
| May 2024 | $64,700 | $31.11 | 12,500 |
| May 2025 | $68,270 | $32.82 | 12,840 |
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
27 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 | Illinois profile | $54.41 | $113,180 | $79,230 | $116,500 | 320 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| 2 | Hawaii profile | $45.91 | $95,490 | $48,890 | $101,610 | 170 | 0.27 | 3.22 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania profile | $39.54 | $82,240 | $37,650 | $105,190 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.11 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $38.00 | $79,040 | $50,650 | $103,880 | 1,550 | 0.44 | 5.30 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $37.54 | $78,090 | $72,230 | $89,370 | 220 | 0.08 | 0.92 |
| 6 | New York profile | $37.40 | $77,790 | $52,900 | $108,660 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | Kansas profile | $35.63 | $74,120 | $49,900 | $81,040 | 30 | 0.02 | 0.28 |
| 8 | Ohio profile | $35.50 | $73,840 | $64,300 | $97,170 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.23 |
| 9 | California profile | $35.32 | $73,460 | $45,800 | $115,370 | 4,540 | 0.25 | 3.02 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $34.35 | $71,450 | $48,620 | $100,880 | 500 | 0.26 | 3.10 |
| 11 | Iowa profile | $32.20 | $66,980 | $55,920 | $70,400 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| 12 | Massachusetts profile | $31.28 | $65,060 | $37,670 | $115,390 | 510 | 0.14 | 1.68 |
| 13 | Michigan profile | $30.59 | $63,630 | $60,890 | $70,620 | 190 | 0.04 | 0.52 |
| 14 | Connecticut profile | $30.58 | $63,600 | $48,000 | $84,580 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.54 |
| 15 | Missouri profile | $30.30 | $63,020 | $48,230 | $83,330 | 220 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| 16 | Nevada profile | $29.18 | $60,690 | $43,840 | $101,090 | 1,190 | 0.77 | 9.26 |
| 17 | Wisconsin profile | $27.81 | $57,840 | $21,490 | $89,660 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| 18 | Idaho profile | $27.74 | $57,690 | $36,930 | $93,130 | 310 | 0.36 | 4.32 |
| 19 | Arizona profile | $27.07 | $56,300 | $39,780 | $76,610 | 780 | 0.24 | 2.92 |
| 20 | Colorado profile | $26.20 | $54,500 | $49,240 | $55,930 | ** | ** | ** |
| 21 | Utah profile | $25.45 | $52,930 | $38,400 | $72,890 | 210 | 0.12 | 1.44 |
| 22 | Florida profile | $23.75 | $49,400 | $39,020 | $54,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | New Mexico profile | $23.23 | $48,320 | $45,730 | $60,780 | 60 | 0.07 | 0.83 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | $22.01 | $45,770 | $34,750 | $46,040 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | Texas profile | $21.00 | $43,670 | $36,880 | $47,620 | 220 | 0.02 | 0.19 |
| 26 | Indiana profile | $20.58 | $42,810 | $36,400 | $110,340 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.44 |
| 27 | West Virginia profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $31,200 | $61,520 | 30 | 0.04 | 0.52 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-2080), 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 47-2082 Tapers.
**- 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 47-2082, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2082.00, 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.