What is a Taper?
Taper Job Description Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
Life As a Taper: What Do They Do?
- Work on high ceilings using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
- Apply texturizing compounds or primers to walls or ceilings before final finishing, using trowels, brushes, rollers, or spray guns.
- Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard.
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Use mechanical applicators that spread compounds and embed tape in one operation.
What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Taper?
These are the skills Tapers say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles
- Finisher
- Taper/Finisher
- Drywall Foreman
- Drywall Taper
- Drywall Finisher
Job Opportunities for Tapers
There were about 23,700 jobs for Taper in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Taper. The BLS estimates 2,100 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Taper are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Kentucky, Maine, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Taper
The salary for Tapers ranges between about $31,020 and $91,070 a year.
Tapers who work in Hawaii, Illinois, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Tapers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $46,980 |
| California | $62,060 |
| Colorado | $49,240 |
| Connecticut | $56,380 |
| Florida | $42,020 |
| Georgia | $45,550 |
| Hawaii | $81,840 |
| Idaho | $32,030 |
| Illinois | $75,810 |
| Indiana | $47,760 |
| Iowa | $57,840 |
| Maine | $47,540 |
| Massachusetts | $58,480 |
| Michigan | $53,590 |
| Minnesota | $55,430 |
| Missouri | $60,220 |
| Montana | $30,370 |
| Nevada | $41,880 |
| New Hampshire | $35,880 |
| New Mexico | $49,160 |
| New York | $63,490 |
| North Dakota | $47,170 |
| Ohio | $63,130 |
| Oregon | $67,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,570 |
| Texas | $45,130 |
| Utah | $42,750 |
| Washington | $57,060 |
| Wisconsin | $48,690 |
What Tools do Tapers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Tapers:
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
- On Center Quick Bid
- Construction Software Center EasyEst
- DevWave Estimate Works
How do I Become a Taper?
What education is needed to be a Taper?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Tapers Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Tapers employed by various industries.
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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