Tapers
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
What it pays
Tapers earn a median of $32.82/hr — about $68,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $21.00/hr; the top 10% earn $51.50/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Tapers earn a median of $32.82/hr — about $68,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $21.00/hr; the top 10% earn $51.50/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.
- Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard.
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 day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 19.5% of tapers 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 taper make?
- The median pay is $32.82 per hour — roughly $68,500 a year, with the real range running from about $21.00/hr (10th percentile) to $51.50/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a taper?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a taper actually do all day?
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas. Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints. Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
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.