Construction & Extraction
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Also called: Floor Covering Contractor, Floor Coverings Installer, Floor Installer, Floor Layer
US median pay
$56,460
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+9%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
2,200
29,800 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- 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.
- Apply adhesive cement to floor or wall material to join and adhere foundation material.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Time Management2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Negotiation2.5/5
- Service Orientation2.4/5
- Persuasion2.4/5
Knowledge
- 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 rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): No formal educational credential.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma90%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.