Tapers

What tapers do

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.
• Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard.
• Select the correct sealing compound or tape.
• Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard.
• Use mechanical applicators that spread compounds and embed tape in one operation.

Tapers salary

The median annual wage for tapers is $68,270 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $43,670 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $107,110. The mean annual wage is $72,710.

The mean hourly wage of $34.00 is 4.7× 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 Tapers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $68,270 → in 3 years $74,600 → in 5 years $79,100 → in 10 years $91,600 (10-year range $78,800–$106,300). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% 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 Tapers

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 Tapers? 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 Tapers

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 Tapers

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 tapers

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 tapers

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

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