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Carpet, Floor & Tile Work

Types of Degrees Carpet, Floor & Tile Work Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Carpet, Floor & Tile Work can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	13
Associate’s Degree	8

What Carpet, Floor & Tile Work Majors Need to Know

Programs in Carpet, Floor & Tile Work develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Carpet, Floor & Tile Work emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Carpet, Floor & Tile Work program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Carpet, Floor & Tile Work careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Visualization — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.1 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.5 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Carpet, Floor & Tile Work professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Aya Associates Comp-U-Floor	Data base user interface and query software	—
Measure Square FloorEstimate Pro	Project management software	—
Salesforce software	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates include:

• Installer
• Floor Covering Installer
• Flooring Installer
• Tile Mechanic
• Tile Setter
• Tile Installer
• Commercial Carpet Installer
• Carpet Technician
• Carpet Tile Layer
• Residential Carpet Installer
• Carpet Layer
• Subcontractor Installer
• Rug Layer
• Floor Installation Mechanic
• Carpet Installation Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	51.8%
Less than a high school diploma	24.3%
Postsecondary certificate	9.1%
Some college courses	7.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.8%
Bachelor’s degree	3.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Carpet, Floor & Tile Work?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85.7% of Carpet, Floor & Tile Work degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3	14.3%
Men	18	85.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	16	76.2%
Hispanic or Latino	4	19.0%
Race Unknown	1	4.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Carpet, Floor & Tile Work Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,822
4 years	$32,489
5 years	$37,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $37,102 — roughly 10% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Carpet, Floor & Tile Work Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Carpet, Floor & Tile Work graduates earn a median of $32,489 four years after completion — about 15% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrician	30,349
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,780
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	733
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	613
Mason/Masonry	378
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	312

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.