Tapers
What Tapers Do
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 19.5%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 4.0/5
- English Languageimportance 2.6/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.5/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.5/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.3/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.3/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Spend Time Standing4.8/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.2/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.1/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.1/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical95% skill match
- Paperhangers93% skill match
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand93% skill match
- Glaziers92% skill match
- Bus Drivers, School91% skill match
- Food Batchmakers90% skill match
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles90% skill match
- Roofers90% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Time Managementimportance 2.8/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.5/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.4/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.3/5
- Instructingimportance 2.1/5
- Service Orientationimportance 2.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Applied Computer Systems JOBPOWER
- Construction Software Center EasyEst
- DevWave Estimate Works
- Microsoft Dynamics
- On Center Quick Bid
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Achievement Orientation
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- ArtisticLow
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where tapers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Coeur d'Alene, ID11.09× national avg
- 2Reno, NV10.98× national avg
- 3Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV9.63× national avg
- 4Kennewick-Richland, WA9.62× national avg
- 5Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA6.76× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersLateral Move
- Insulation Workers, MechanicalLateral Move
- Plasterers and Stucco MasonsLateral Move
- RoofersLateral Move