Tapers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tapers in the U.S. is $68,270 ($32.82 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $68,270
- Mean annual wage
- $72,710
- Median hourly wage
- $32.82
- Employment
- 12,840
12,840 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,670 | $21.00 |
| 25th percentile | $52,730 | $25.35 |
| Median (50th) | $68,270 | $32.82 |
| 75th percentile | $88,540 | $42.57 |
| 90th percentile | $107,110 | $51.50 |
Highest-paying states for tapers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $113,180 | 320 |
| Hawaii | $95,490 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,240 | 60 |
| Washington | $79,040 | 1,550 |
| Minnesota | $78,090 | 220 |
| New York | $77,790 | — |
| Kansas | $74,120 | 30 |
| Ohio | $73,840 | 110 |
| California | $73,460 | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $71,450 | 500 |
Lowest-paying states
- West Virginia: $41,600 median annual wage
- Indiana: $42,810 median annual wage
- Texas: $43,670 median annual wage
- North Carolina: $45,770 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $48,320 median annual wage
About this occupation
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
Typical tasks
- Select the correct sealing compound or tape.
- Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers.
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Use mechanical applicators that spread compounds and embed tape in one operation.
- Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 46.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 38.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 9.8% |
| Associate's degree | 2.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 2.0% |
| Master's degree | 0.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Construction Laborers$47,120
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920
- Electricians$63,190
- Carpenters$60,580
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.