Carpet Installers earn a median of $50,340 per year ($24.20/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 16.4% through 2035, with about 700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 47-2041
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Carpet Installer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $50,340a year, or $24.20/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $82K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -16.4%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−16.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −16.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 70017,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202517.4K
- Projected 203514.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 17.4K Projected 2035 14.5K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school22.3%
- High school69.2%
- Certificate1.3%
- Some college7.2%
Highest education held by carpet installers Segment Value Less than high school 22.3% High school 69.2% Certificate 1.3% Some college 7.2%
Also advertised as: Carpet Flooring Installer, Carpet Layer, Carpet Mechanic, Commercial Floor Covering Installer, Floor Coverer, Floor Covering Installer.
Pay
How much do Carpet Installers make?
Every carpet installer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$50,340
Middle half earn $41,970 to $66,320
- 10th
- $35,450
- 25th
- $41,970
- 75th
- $66,320
- 90th
- $82,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,450 |
| 25th | $41,970 |
| Median | $50,340 |
| 75th | $66,320 |
| 90th | $82,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $50,340
- Median hourly wage
- $24.20/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $56,990
- People employed
- 13,780
Versus all US occupations
At $50,340, the median for Carpet Installers sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 16% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $82,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,450, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 22% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $115,180, and still leads at $105,859 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Carpet Installers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $115,180 | $105,859 | 390 |
| 2Minnesota | $85,910 | $87,111 | N/A |
| 3Alaska | $76,790 | $75,020 | 70 |
| 4Tennessee | $74,510 | $81,104 | 50 |
| 5Nevada | $67,040 | $67,054 | 710 |
| 6New Hampshire | $65,600 | $62,977 | 60 |
| 7Missouri | $63,960 | $70,427 | 230 |
| 8Wisconsin | $60,830 | $64,647 | 420 |
| 9Hawaii | $58,710 | $53,397 | N/A |
| 10Kansas | $57,920 | $64,307 | 70 |
Job outlook
Is Carpet Installer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -16.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Carpet Installers | −16.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Carpet Installers to change -16.4% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 2,800 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 700 openings are projected each year, 4.0% of the 17,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of flooring installers and tile and stone setters is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of flooring installers and tile and stone setters varies by occupation (see table).
The construction of new homes and the renovation of existing units will be the primary source of flooring and tile and stone installation over the projections decade.
Getting in
How to become a Carpet Installer
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their trade on the job, sometimes starting as a helper. Some learn through an apprenticeship.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as carpet installers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)69.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma22.3%
- Some College Courses7.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate1.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 69.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 22.3% |
| Some College Courses | 7.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 1.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Carpet Installer do?
Lay and install carpet from rolls or blocks on floors. Install padding and trim flooring materials.
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters lay and finish carpet, wood, vinyl, and other materials, such as ceramic, glass, marble, and granite.
Day-to-day tasks
- Cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges, openings, and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer.
- Roll out, measure, mark, and cut carpeting to size with a carpet knife, following floor sketches and allowing extra carpet for final fitting.
- Inspect the surface to be covered to determine its condition, and correct any imperfections that might show through carpet or cause carpet to wear unevenly.
- Install carpet on some floors using adhesive, following prescribed method.
- Clean up before and after installation, including vacuuming carpet and discarding remnant pieces.
- Plan the layout of the carpet, allowing for expected traffic patterns and placing seams for best appearance and longest wear.
- Move furniture from area to be carpeted and remove old carpet and padding.
- Cut and install vinyl composition tile or vinyl base.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most flooring installers and tile and stone setters work full time, although schedules may vary. In commercial settings, they may need to work evenings and weekends to avoid disturbing regular business operations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.1
- Mathematics3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.6
- Active Learning2.6
- Learning Strategies2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.6 |
| Active Learning | 2.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.1
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Service Orientation2.6
- Operations Monitoring2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.8 |
| Service Orientation | 2.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Carpet Installer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Carpet Installer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional3.5
- Artistic1.9
- Social1.3
- Investigative1.1
- Enterprising1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Carpet Installer
O*NET related occupations
- Construction and Extraction
Floor Layer, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
$56,460median a year
Most earn $38K to $97K
+9.0%No formal credential - Construction and Extraction
- Construction and Extraction
- Construction and Extraction
Insulation Worker, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
$49,120median a year
Most earn $37K to $78K
+2.4%No formal credential - Construction and Extraction
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installer
$58,930median a year
Most earn $38K to $102K
+2.5%No formal credential - Production
More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with carpet installers highlighted
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- Sheet Metal Worker$61,800
- Carpenter$60,580
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator$59,850
- Roofer$55,440
- Carpet Installer$50,340
- Oil and Gas Roustabout$46,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 |
| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator | $59,850 |
| Roofer | $55,440 |
| Carpet Installer | $50,340 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Carpet Installer appears on
Questions
Carpet Installer: frequently asked questions
How much do Carpet Installers make?
Carpet Installers earn a median of $50,340 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.20/hr. The middle half earn between $41,970 and $66,320. The top 10% earn $82,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Carpet Installer?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Carpet Installers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 69.2% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Carpet Installer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 16.4% over 2025–2035, a loss of 2,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Carpet Installer do?
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters lay and finish carpet, wood, vinyl, and other materials, such as ceramic, glass, marble, and granite. A core O*NET task: cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges, openings, and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Carpet Installers the most?
The highest state medians for Carpet Installers are New Jersey ($115,180), Minnesota ($85,910), Alaska ($76,790) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Carpet Installer?
O*NET scores Carpet Installers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.