Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$55,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$5,000
9% of base
Total target cash
$60,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$3,00050th$5,00075th$8,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:SpeakingCoordinationActive ListeningTime ManagementCritical ThinkingMonitoring
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Paperhanger pay by experience level
Entry level$37,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$46,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$54,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$62,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$71,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+5.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
200
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Paperhanger salary by industry
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,030 workers
$54,000
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
1,010 workers
$54,000
Specialty Trade Contractors
300 workers
$63,000
Building Finishing Contractors
300 workers
$63,000
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers
60 workers
$52,000
Building Material and Supplies Dealers
60 workers
$52,000
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
30 workers
$55,500
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
30 workers
$55,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $43,560 to $52,140.
+19.7% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$37,500
Early career25th percentile
$46,500
Median50th percentile
$54,000
Experienced75th percentile
$62,500
Top earners90th percentile
$71,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$55,500
2027$57,500
2028$59,500
2029$61,500
2030$63,500
2031$66,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Paperhanger in the United States is about $55,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Paperhanger?
Most Paperhanger pay falls between about $46,500 (25th percentile) and $62,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $71,500.
What does a Paperhanger do?
Core responsibilities include: smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints; and trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.
Is pay for Paperhanger roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $43,560 in 2020 to $52,140 in 2025, a change of +19.7% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Paperhanger pays 15% below the average across 63 roles in the Construction and Extraction job family (family average $65,000).
Similar-paying roles in Construction and Extraction
Need Paperhanger pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
