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Tapers in Washington

Considering working as a Tapers in Washington? Here’s what you need to know. Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.

$70,580 Median Annual Wage (Washington)

$30,388 National Median Annual Wage

1,510 Washington Employment

Some Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Tapers Make in Washington?

The tapers working in Washington, the median annual wage is $70,580 per year (or about $33.93/hour).Pay can range from $49,210 at the 10th percentile to $109,360 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$49,210	$23.66
25th percentile	$58,510	$28.13
Median (50th)	$70,580	$33.93
75th percentile	$92,710	$44.57
90th percentile	$109,360	$52.58

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington compared to the national average — is 5.28, indicating that tapers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, tapers earn a median of $30,388 per year ($14.61/hour), exceeding the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 696,796 tapers nationwide. In Washington alone, about 1,510 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 210 tapers.

Top Washington Metros for Tapers

The metro areas below employ the most tapers in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	990	$73,110
Kennewick-Richland, WA	140	$65,210
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	100	$68,070

Top States for Tapers Employment

These states have the highest employment of tapers work.

State	Number Employed
California	3,790
Washington	1,510
Arizona	1,020
Nevada	990
Texas	450
Utah	400
Oregon	390
Illinois	380
Missouri	310
Massachusetts	290
Michigan	270
Minnesota	210
Hawaii	180
Connecticut	150
Pennsylvania	90
Colorado	80
Indiana	70
Ohio	70
Wisconsin	70
New Mexico	70

Highest-Paying States for Tapers

The highest-paying states for tapers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Illinois	$109,510
Massachusetts	$107,670
Hawaii	$97,790
New Jersey	$96,350
Oregon	$90,180
Minnesota	$86,990
Pennsylvania	$81,880
Connecticut	$71,910
Washington	$70,580
New York	$70,150

Skills

Top tapers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening 2.9 / 5

Monitoring 2.9 / 5

Speaking 2.9 / 5

Time Management 2.8 / 5

Critical Thinking 2.6 / 5

Social Perceptiveness 2.6 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Building and Construction 4.0 / 5

English Language 2.6 / 5

Education and Training 2.5 / 5

Customer and Personal Service 2.5 / 5

Mechanical 2.4 / 5

Administration and Management 2.4 / 5

Abilities

Top abilities for tapers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Near Vision 3.4 / 5

Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.1 / 5

Manual Dexterity 3.1 / 5

Extent Flexibility 3.1 / 5

Multilimb Coordination 3.1 / 5

Trunk Strength 3.1 / 5

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
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.
Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard.
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.
Remove extra compound after surfaces have been covered sufficiently.
Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard.

Work Activities

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Performing General Physical Activities
Getting Information
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Handling and Moving Objects
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Training and Teaching Others
Controlling Machines and Processes

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Intuit QuickBooks

Related occupations to tapers include:

Also Known As

Drywall Finisher, Drywall Mechanic, Drywall Taper, Finisher, Sheet Rock Taper, Spackler, Taper, Wall Taper.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 47-2082.00

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