Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC
Tapers
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
Also called: Drywall Finisher, Drywall Taper, Finisher, Taper Finisher, Drywall Mechanic, Patch Guy, Patcher, Sheetrock Finisher.
O*NET 47-2082.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $68,270
- Middle half earn $52,730 to $88,540. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- 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.
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
- Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
- Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers.
- Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Monitoring2.9 / 5
- Active Listening2.8 / 5
- Speaking2.6 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.5 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.1 / 5
- Learning Strategies2.0 / 5
Knowledge areas
- English Language3.6 / 5
- Administration and Management3.5 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.4 / 5
- Education and Training3.3 / 5
- Building and Construction3.1 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service3.0 / 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.
- Realistic92
- Investigative11
- Artistic12
- Social8
- Enterprising1
- Conventional41
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
- bricklayer · DE Maurer/Maurerin · FR maçon/maçonne
- terrazzo setter · DE Terrazzomacher/Terrazzomacherin · FR carreleur spécialisé en terrazzo/carreleuse spécialisée en terrazzo
- hardwood floor layer · DE Parkettleger/Parkettlegerin · FR parqueteur/parqueteuse
- resilient floor layer · DE Bodenleger für Elastikböden/Bodenlegerin für Elastikböden · FR poseur de revêtements souples de sols/poseuse de revêtements souples de sols
- tile fitter · DE Platten- und Fliesenleger/Platten- und Fliesenlegerin · FR carreleur/carreleuse
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Floorers and wall tilers (5322)35,600 employed
- Plasterers (5321)38,800 employed
- Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)53,100 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 -1.54. 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 (47-2082).
Related careers
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