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 Covering Contractor · Floor Coverings Installer · Floor Layer · Flooring Installer · Flooring Mechanic · Tile Installer
Median pay (national)
$54,340
$37,190–$97,180 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
24,850
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+9.5%
~2,700 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $97,180 versus $37,190 at the bottom 10% — 2.6x. The median of $54,340 leaves roughly 79% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +9.5% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 2,700 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 46 states with released data, Alaska pays the most for this role (median $100,500, +85% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $20,100 — a 400% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
Tailor your resume to Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Honest tailoring
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
- Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
- Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
- Form a smooth foundation by stapling plywood or Masonite over the floor or by brushing waterproof compound onto surface and filling cracks with plaster, putty, or grout to seal pores.
- Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
- Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
- Roll and press sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
- Determine traffic areas and decide location of seams.
- Remove excess cement to clean finished surface.
- Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
Tools & technology
- Aya Associates Comp-U-Floor
- CPR Software FloorCOST Estimator for Excel
- Flooring Technologies QFloors
- Focus Floor Covering Software
- Measure Square FloorEstimate Pro
- On Center On-Screen Takeoff
- Pacific Solutions FloorRight
- Project visualization software
- Radio frequency identification RFID software
- Textile Management Systems RollMaster
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Office software
Knowledge areas
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Design
- English Language
- Education and Training