The median pay for Paperhangers is $52,140 a year ($25.07/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4.3% through 2035, with about 200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 47-2142
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Paperhanger in four numbers
- Median pay
- $52,140a year, or $25.07/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $69K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.3%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2002,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20252.3K
- Projected 20352.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 2.3K Projected 2035 2.4K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school24.1%
- High school54.1%
- Certificate3.4%
- Some college18.5%
Highest education held by paperhangers Segment Value Less than high school 24.1% High school 54.1% Certificate 3.4% Some college 18.5%
Also advertised as: Bill Board Poster, Bill Poster, Billposter, Hanger, Installer, Paper Hanger.
Pay
How much do Paperhangers make?
Every paperhanger in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$52,140
Middle half earn $44,890 to $60,180
- 10th
- $36,020
- 25th
- $44,890
- 75th
- $60,180
- 90th
- $69,050
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,020 |
| 25th | $44,890 |
| Median | $52,140 |
| 75th | $60,180 |
| 90th | $69,050 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $52,140
- Median hourly wage
- $25.07/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $53,730
- People employed
- 1,570
Versus all US occupations
At $52,140, the median for Paperhangers 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 13% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $69,050 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,020, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 25% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($62,790), but once local prices are taken into account Missouri leads at $65,582 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Paperhangers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $62,790 | $56,711 | 130 |
| 2Pennsylvania | $61,800 | $63,338 | 30 |
| 3New York | $60,230 | $55,809 | 300 |
| 4Missouri | $59,560 | $65,582 | N/A |
| 5Indiana | $54,810 | $58,728 | 70 |
| 6Wisconsin | $51,500 | $54,732 | N/A |
| 7Florida | $48,780 | $47,170 | 30 |
| 8North Carolina | $48,590 | $51,513 | 100 |
| 9Colorado | $48,180 | $46,753 | 130 |
| 10Ohio | $47,830 | $51,555 | 70 |
Job outlook
Is Paperhanger a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Paperhangers | +4.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Paperhangers to change 4.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 200 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 2,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Paperhanger
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-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 paperhangers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)54.1%
- Less than a High School Diploma24.1%
- Some College Courses18.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate3.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 54.1% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 24.1% |
| Some College Courses | 18.5% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 3.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Paperhanger do?
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.
Day-to-day tasks
- Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing 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.
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
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Monitoring2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.4
- Writing2.0
- Mathematics2.0
- Active Learning2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.4 |
| Writing | 2.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Social Perceptiveness2.6
- Service Orientation2.4
- Operations Monitoring2.4
- Operation and Control2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.6 |
| Service Orientation | 2.4 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.4 |
| Operation and Control | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Enterprise application integration software
- Graphics or photo imaging 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 Paperhanger?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Paperhanger |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 2 |
| 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.
- Realistic5.9
- Conventional3.9
- Artistic3.0
- Social1.6
- Enterprising1.1
- Investigative1.0
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 Paperhanger
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More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with paperhangers 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
- Paperhanger$52,140
- 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 |
| Paperhanger | $52,140 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Paperhanger appears on
Questions
Paperhanger: frequently asked questions
How much do Paperhangers make?
Paperhangers earn a median of $52,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $25.07/hr. The middle half earn between $44,890 and $60,180. The top 10% earn $69,050 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Paperhanger?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Paperhangers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 54.1% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Paperhanger a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.3% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Paperhanger do?
Cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. A core O*NET task: place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns. Employers most often ask for Spreadsheet software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Paperhangers the most?
The highest state medians for Paperhangers are California ($62,790), Pennsylvania ($61,800), New York ($60,230) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Missouri moves to the top at $65,582.
What personality type suits a Paperhanger?
O*NET scores Paperhangers 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.