Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: Job Description
Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.
Featured schools near , edit
What Tasks Do Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles include:
- Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
- Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
- Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
- Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
- Form a smooth foundation by stapling plywood or Masonite over the floor or by brushing waterproof compound onto surface and filling cracks with plaster, putty, or grout to seal pores.
- Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
- Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
- Roll and press sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
What Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles Need to Know
Top floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Asphalt Tile Floor Layer
- Commercial Installer
- Composition Floor Layer
- Composition Floor Setter
- Composition Tile Layer
- Cork Floor Installer
- Epoxy Installer
- Floor Cover Layer
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 112,410 floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.7% over the projection horizon.
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $69,777 |
| Hourly median | $33.55 |
| 10th percentile | $43,046 |
| 25th percentile | $56,412 |
| 75th percentile | $83,143 |
| 90th percentile | $96,508 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $100,500 |
| Minnesota | $88,990 |
| Hawaii | $75,340 |
| Illinois | $69,240 |
| Massachusetts | $64,160 |
| Wisconsin | $61,200 |
| California | $60,780 |
| Nevada | $60,000 |
| New Jersey | $58,760 |
| New Hampshire | $58,260 |
| Ohio | $58,070 |
| Oregon | $57,890 |
| New York | $57,710 |
| Iowa | $54,540 |
| Missouri | $54,290 |
| Colorado | $51,820 |
| Florida | $50,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,850 |
| Idaho | $49,660 |
| Michigan | $49,550 |
| Vermont | $49,440 |
| Washington | $49,310 |
| Mississippi | $48,970 |
| Maryland | $48,830 |
| South Dakota | $48,730 |
| Maine | $48,300 |
| Arkansas | $47,650 |
| Virginia | $47,580 |
| Alabama | $47,360 |
| Kentucky | $46,800 |
| North Dakota | $46,710 |
| Arizona | $46,450 |
| North Carolina | $45,760 |
| New Mexico | $45,490 |
| Indiana | $45,440 |
| Louisiana | $45,390 |
| Georgia | $44,790 |
| Utah | $43,930 |
| Texas | $42,880 |
| Tennessee | $41,350 |
| Kansas | $40,960 |
| South Carolina | $38,380 |
| Oklahoma | $35,360 |
| Nebraska | $31,340 |
| Montana | $27,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,100 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $61,848 | 4.6% | 1.53 |
| Far Western US | $60,524 | 33.1% | 2.05 |
| Great Lakes | $57,194 | 15.7% | 1.14 |
| Middle Atlantic | $54,951 | 11.1% | 0.87 |
| Plains States | $50,628 | 7.9% | 1.87 |
| Southeast | $47,377 | 16.4% | 0.78 |
| Rocky Mountains | $45,916 | 3.1% | 1.00 |
| Southwest | $43,057 | 8.0% | 0.65 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $91,280 | 480 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $79,830 | 40 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | CA | $79,540 | 160 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $75,610 | 880 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $75,340 | 220 |
| Green Bay, WI | WI | $72,410 | 70 |
| Madison, WI | WI | $69,460 | 80 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $69,110 | 720 |
Which Industries Hire Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
The largest employers of floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 20,670 | $55,080 |
| Retail Trade | 3,080 | $54,490 |
| Manufacturing | 680 | $42,740 |
| Wholesale Trade | 160 | $44,200 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 40 | $48,880 |
| Educational Services | 40 | $77,460 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles Use
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons (Primary-Long)
- Carpenters (Supplemental)
- Carpet Installers (Primary-Short)
- Floor Sanders and Finishers (Primary-Short)
- Tile and Stone Setters (Primary-Short)
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (Primary-Long)
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (Primary-Short)
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles often complete programs in:
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from 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: 47-2042.00 (Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles).