Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.
Also called: Floor Coverings Installer, Floor Layer, Flooring Installer, Flooring Mechanic, Floor Covering Contractor, Floor Installer, Tile Installer, Tile Setter.
O*NET 47-2042.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $56,460
- Middle half earn $45,660 to $73,840. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 90% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
- Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
- Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
- Roll and press sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
- Lay out, position, and apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors, walls, and cabinets, following guidelines to keep courses straight and create designs.
- Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
- Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
- Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.1 / 5
- Speaking3.1 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
- Monitoring2.9 / 5
- Active Learning2.8 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.4 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Building and Construction3.9 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9 / 5
- Mathematics3.8 / 5
- Mechanical3.4 / 5
- Production and Processing3.3 / 5
- Design3.1 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative6
- Artistic14
- Social9
- Enterprising0
- Conventional45
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- plastering supervisor · DE Gipspolier/Gipspolierin · FR superviseur de plâtriers/superviseuse de plâtriers
- terrazzo setter supervisor · DE Polier Fußbodenlegearbeiten/Polierin Fußbodenlegearbeiten · FR superviseur de carreleurs spécialisés en terrazzo/superviseuse de carreleurs spécialisés en terrazzo
- tiling supervisor · DE Polier Fliesen-, Platten- und Mosaiklegearbeiten/Polierin Fliesen-, Platten- und Mosaiklegearbeiten · FR superviseur de carreleurs/superviseuse de carreleurs
- terrazzo setter · DE Terrazzomacher/Terrazzomacherin · FR carreleur spécialisé en terrazzo/carreleuse spécialisée en terrazzo
- carpet fitter · DE Teppichbodenleger/Teppichbodenlegerin · FR poseur de moquette/poseuse de moquette
- hardwood floor layer · DE Parkettleger/Parkettlegerin · FR parqueteur/parqueteuse
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Plasterers (5321)38,800 employed
- Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)53,100 employed
- Floorers and wall tilers (5322)35,600 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.30. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2042).
Related careers
Is it a fit for you?
Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.
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