Paperhangers Career, Salary and Skills
Paperhangers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $52,140 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 1,570. Wage data is published for 17 locations.
Occupation description
Cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. May remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered.
O*NET code
47-2142.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$52,140
Hourly median
$25.07
Employment
1,570
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.38 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Time Management | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Monitoring | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.38 | 2.38 |
Typical tasks
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
- Staple or tack advertising posters onto fences, walls, billboards, or poles.
- Measure surfaces or review work orders to estimate the quantities of materials needed.
- Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams.
- Smooth rough spots on walls and ceilings, using sandpaper.
- Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.
- Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.
- Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.
Technology
- A-Systems JobView
- Construction Software Center EasyEst
- Corel Painter
- Electronic data interchange EDI software
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- On Center Quick Bid
- PlanSwift
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Paperhangers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Paperhangers Salary in NYMedian $60,230 · Employment 300
- Paperhangers Salary in New York, NYMedian $63,450 · Employment 220
- Paperhangers Salary in COMedian $48,180 · Employment 130
- Paperhangers Salary in CAMedian $62,790 · Employment 130
- Paperhangers Salary in NCMedian $48,590 · Employment 100
- Paperhangers Salary in OHMedian $47,830 · Employment 70
- Paperhangers Salary in INMedian $54,810 · Employment 70
- Paperhangers Salary in SCMedian $46,800 · Employment 50
- Paperhangers Salary in TNMedian $46,010 · Employment 40
- Paperhangers Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $71,270 · Employment 30
- Paperhangers Salary in FLMedian $48,780 · Employment 30
- Paperhangers Salary in PAMedian $61,800 · Employment 30
Related careers
- Floor Sanders and FinishersNational median $50,440
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble SettersNational median $47,550
- Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticNational median $63,870
- RoofersNational median $55,440
- GlaziersNational median $57,080
- Terrazzo Workers and FinishersNational median $76,170
- Fiberglass Laminators and FabricatorsNational median $46,880
- Insulation Workers, MechanicalNational median $58,340
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.