Tapers Salary
Construction and Extraction Occupations · 13K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$68,270
Median hourly
$33
Average annual
$72,710
Typical range
$43,670–$107,110
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Tapers is $68,270 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $33 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering..
Most earn between $43,670 and $107,110 a year. There are roughly 13K people employed as tapers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Tapers.
- Hourly
- $32.82
- Daily
- $263
- Weekly
- $1,313
- Bi-weekly
- $2,626
- Monthly
- $5,689
- Annual
- $68,270
$68,270 a year is around the 50th percentile for Taperss. The median is $68,270.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Illinois$113,180
- 2Hawaii$95,490
- 3Pennsylvania$82,240
- 4Washington$79,040
- 5Minnesota$78,090
- 6New York$77,790
- 7Kansas$74,120
- 8Ohio$73,840
- 9California$73,460
- 10Oregon$71,450
- 11Iowa$66,980
- 12Massachusetts$65,060
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$113,180
- 2Urban Honolulu, HI$95,490
- 3Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$95,010
- 4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$92,810
- 5Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$92,490
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$84,840
- 7St. Louis, MO-IL$81,400
- 8Kansas City, MO-KS$81,040
- 9New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$81,000
- 10Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,340
- 11Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$78,090
- 12San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$76,720
Related job titles
Employers advertise Tapers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers$58,930
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall$49,120
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons$57,660
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical$58,340
- Construction Laborers$47,120
- Roofers$55,440
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles$56,460
What a Tapers does
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.
- Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers.
- Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Select the correct sealing compound or tape.
- Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Tapers make?
- The median annual wage for Tapers is $68,270 ($33 per hour). Pay ranges from about $43,670 at the 10th percentile to $107,110 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Tapers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $72,710, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Taperss the most?
- Illinois has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $113,180.
- Is Tapers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 13K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Tapers do?
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.; Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.; Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering..