How much does a floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile make?

The median pay is $27.15 per hour — roughly $56,500 a year, with the real range running from about $18.08/hr (10th percentile) to $46.49/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile actually do all day?

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.

Construction & Trades

Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.

What it pays
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles earn a median of $27.15/hr — about $56,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $18.08/hr; the top 10% earn $46.49/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

You're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 25.7% of floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile make?: The median pay is $27.15 per hour — roughly $56,500 a year, with the real range running from about $18.08/hr (10th percentile) to $46.49/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.