Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-2142

Paperhangers

Median pay sits 29% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Roof Bolters, Mining, Boilermakers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Paperhangers: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Roof Bolters, Mining ($79K) , Boilermakers ($76K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Paperhangers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2142 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints
  2. 2. Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives
  3. 3. Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives
  4. 4. Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams
  5. 5. Mark vertical guidelines on walls to align strips, using plumb bobs and chalk lines
  6. 6. Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools
  7. 7. Apply adhesives to the backs of paper strips, using brushes, or dunk strips of prepasted wallcovering in water, wiping off any excess adh…
  8. 8. Measure and cut strips from rolls of wallpaper or fabric, using shears or razors
  9. 9. Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns
  10. 10. Fill holes, cracks, and other surface imperfections preparatory to covering surfaces
  11. 11. Measure surfaces or review work orders to estimate the quantities of materials needed
  12. 12. Apply sizing to seal surfaces and maximize adhesion of coverings to surfaces

Paperhangers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2142 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Coordination 3.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 2.9
  5. 5. Time Management 2.9
  6. 6. Monitoring 2.8
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 2.8
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.7
  2. 2. Building and Construction 3.5
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.3
  4. 4. Mechanical 3.0
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.0
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 3.0
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-29%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $52,140/yr
$52K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
200
Annual openings
1,570
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Paperhangers

1. Florida $48,780
2. Wisconsin $51,500
3. Pennsylvania $61,800
4. Ohio $47,830
5. New York $60,230
6. California $62,790
7. Colorado $48,180
8. Indiana $54,810
9. North Carolina $48,590
10. Missouri $59,560

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Roof Bolters, Mining $78,540
  2. 2. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  3. 3. Boilermakers $76,410
  4. 4. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  5. 5. Construction and Building Inspectors $74,690
  6. 6. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Paperhangers sits 29% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $52,140.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Florida at $48,780. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Paperhangers pay-rank #39 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Paperhangers sits at pay-rank #39 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Paperhangers pays 29% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Paperhangers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2142

Florida · top state for Paperhangers

$49K published median

Wisconsin · #2 state pay

$52K · behind Florida

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Paperhangers · $110K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Paperhangers · $62K

Compare Paperhangers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Paperhangers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Paperhangers

Against another occupation

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Paperhangers mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #39 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Solar Photovoltaic Installers ($53K), Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators ($53K), Floor Sanders and Finishers ($50K), Roofers ($55K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do paperhangers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Paperhangers. Leading ones include: Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints; Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives; Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives; Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for paperhangers? ▼
For SOC 47-2142, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Coordination (3.0), Critical Thinking (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Building and Construction, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Paperhangers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $52,140 as the national median for Paperhangers. The published 10th-90th range is $36,020 to $69,050. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Paperhangers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Paperhangers is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Paperhangers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Paperhangers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Paperhangers? ▼
Florida ($48,780), Wisconsin ($51,500), Pennsylvania ($61,800) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Paperhangers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2142. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Paperhangers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics