Floor Sanders and Finishers
Scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machine, and apply coats of finish.
What it pays
Floor Sanders and Finishers earn a median of $24.25/hr — about $50,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.82/hr; the top 10% earn $33.82/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Floor Sanders and Finishers earn a median of $24.25/hr — about $50,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.82/hr; the top 10% earn $33.82/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Buff and vacuum floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to the application of finish.
- Scrape and sand floor edges and areas inaccessible to floor sanders, using scrapers, disk-type sanders, and sandpaper.
- Inspect floors for smoothness.
- Attach sandpaper to rollers of sanding machines.
- Guide sanding machines over surfaces of floors until surfaces are smooth.
- Apply filler compound and coats of finish to floors to seal wood.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 25.7% of floor sanders and finishers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a floor sanders and finisher make?
- The median pay is $24.25 per hour — roughly $50,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.82/hr (10th percentile) to $33.82/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a floor sanders and finisher?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
- What does a floor sanders and finisher actually do all day?
- Buff and vacuum floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to the application of finish. Scrape and sand floor edges and areas inaccessible to floor sanders, using scrapers, disk-type sanders, and sandpaper. Inspect floors for smoothness.
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.
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.