Paperhangers
Cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. May remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered.
What it pays
Paperhangers earn a median of $25.07/hr — about $52,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.32/hr; the top 10% earn $33.20/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Paperhangers earn a median of $25.07/hr — about $52,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.32/hr; the top 10% earn $33.20/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
- Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.
- Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives.
- Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams.
- Mark vertical guidelines on walls to align strips, using plumb bobs and chalk lines.
- Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.
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
Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 34.8% of paperhangers 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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Quick questions
- How much does a paperhanger make?
- The median pay is $25.07 per hour — roughly $52,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.32/hr (10th percentile) to $33.20/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a paperhanger?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a paperhanger actually do all day?
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints. Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives. Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives.
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.