Paperhangers

What paperhangers do

Typical tasks

• Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.
• 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.
• Apply sizing to seal surfaces and maximize adhesion of coverings to surfaces.
• Set up equipment, such as pasteboards and scaffolds.
• Measure and cut strips from rolls of wallpaper or fabric, using shears or razors.
• Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives.

Paperhangers salary

The median annual wage for paperhangers is $52,140 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,020 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $69,050. The mean annual wage is $53,730.

The mean hourly wage of $25.00 is 3.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

Pay by percentile

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Paperhangers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $52,140 → in 3 years $57,500 → in 5 years $61,400 → in 10 years $72,300 (10-year range $62,200–$83,900). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.

What drives the annual growth rate

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Outlook score for Paperhangers

Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.

Will AI replace Paperhangers? AI replacement risk

How AI is changing this job

A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.

AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →

Labor demand for Paperhangers

Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Paperhangers

What the work involves

Important abilities

Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)

Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)

How to become paperhangers

A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.

Career path and how to earn more as paperhangers

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.

Related occupations