Tapers Career, Salary and Skills
Tapers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $68,270 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 12,840. Wage data is published for 66 locations.
Occupation description
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
O*NET code
47-2082.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$68,270
Hourly median
$32.82
Employment
12,840
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$43,670
10th
$52,730
25th
$68,270
Median
$88,540
75th
$107,110
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Time Management | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Active Listening | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.62 | 1.88 |
| Speaking | 2.62 | 2.00 |
| Coordination | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.12 | 2.00 |
Typical tasks
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
- Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
- Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers.
- Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers.
Technology
- Applied Computer Systems JOBPOWER
- Construction Software Center EasyEst
- DevWave Estimate Works
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Office software
- On Center Quick Bid
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Tapers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Tapers Salary in CAMedian $73,460 · Employment 4,540
- Tapers Salary in WAMedian $79,040 · Employment 1,550
- Tapers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $68,020 · Employment 1,220
- Tapers Salary in NVMedian $60,690 · Employment 1,190
- Tapers Salary in Seattle, WAMedian $80,340 · Employment 1,120
- Tapers Salary in Las Vegas, NVMedian $60,670 · Employment 900
- Tapers Salary in AZMedian $56,300 · Employment 780
- Tapers Salary in Riverside, CAMedian $59,740 · Employment 730
- Tapers Salary in Phoenix, AZMedian $60,430 · Employment 610
- Tapers Salary in MAMedian $65,060 · Employment 510
- Tapers Salary in ORMedian $71,450 · Employment 500
- Tapers Salary in San Jose, CAMedian $92,810 · Employment 480
Related careers
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, HandNational median $42,660
- Structural Iron and Steel WorkersNational median $62,780
- Painters, Construction and MaintenanceNational median $49,400
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticNational median $46,170
- CarpentersNational median $60,580
- Sheet Metal WorkersNational median $61,800
- Floor Sanders and FinishersNational median $50,440
- Terrazzo Workers and FinishersNational median $76,170
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.