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Paperhangers: Job 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.
What Tasks Do Paperhangers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of paperhangers 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.
- Mark vertical guidelines on walls to align strips, using plumb bobs and chalk lines.
- Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.
- Apply adhesives to the backs of paper strips, using brushes, or dunk strips of prepasted wallcovering in water, wiping off any excess adhesive.
- Measure and cut strips from rolls of wallpaper or fabric, using shears or razors.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful paperhangers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Advertising Installer
- Advertising Poster
- Bill Board Poster
- Bill Poster
- Bill Poster Installer
- Billboard Poster
- Graphics Installer
- Hanger
Employment and Demand
There are about 611,119 paperhangers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Paperhangers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $35,095 |
| Hourly median | $16.87 |
| 10th percentile | $23,294 |
| 25th percentile | $29,194 |
| 75th percentile | $40,995 |
| 90th percentile | $46,895 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Paperhangers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $58,240 |
| California | $57,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,630 |
| New York | $56,360 |
| Oklahoma | $51,810 |
| Michigan | $47,160 |
| Florida | $47,060 |
| Colorado | $46,830 |
| Ohio | $44,740 |
| Wisconsin | $39,130 |
| North Carolina | $35,740 |
Where Paperhangers Earn the Most
Compensation for paperhangers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $56,715 | 48.6% | 2.25 |
| Southwest | $51,810 | 7.1% | 3.22 |
| Southeast | $47,060 | 15.7% | 1.13 |
| Great Lakes | $43,101 | 28.6% | 1.88 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $65,190 | |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $51,510 | 200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $48,260 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of paperhangers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 900 | $46,910 |
| Construction | 470 | $51,510 |
| Manufacturing | 90 | $57,740 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 30 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for paperhangers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Getting Started in This Career
Most paperhangers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Carpenters (Supplemental)
- Carpet Installers (Primary-Short)
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles (Primary-Short)
- Floor Sanders and Finishers (Supplemental)
- Tile and Stone Setters (Primary-Long)
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (Supplemental)
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (Primary-Short)
- Glaziers (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future paperhangers typically earn programs in:
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers).
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