Construction & Extraction
Paperhangers
Also called: Bill Board Poster, Bill Poster, Billposter, Hanger
US median pay
$52,140
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+4.3%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
200
2,300 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. May remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered.
What they do day to day
- Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
- Staple or tack advertising posters onto fences, walls, billboards, or poles.
- Measure surfaces or review work orders to estimate the quantities of materials needed.
- Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams.
- Smooth rough spots on walls and ceilings, using sandpaper.
- Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.
- Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.
- Apply sizing to seal surfaces and maximize adhesion of coverings to surfaces.
- Set up equipment, such as pasteboards and scaffolds.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Coordination3.0/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
- Service Orientation2.4/5
- Operations Monitoring2.4/5
- Operation and Control2.4/5
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service3.7/5
- Building and Construction3.5/5
- Mathematics3.3/5
- Mechanical3.0/5
- Public Safety and Security3.0/5
- Administration and Management3.0/5
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 diploma54%
- Less than high school24%
- Some college18%
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.