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Skilled Trades

Carpet Installers

Lay and install carpet from rolls or blocks on floors. Install padding and trim flooring materials.

Median salary (BLS)

$50,340

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$35k – $82k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Carpet Installers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Carpet Installers

    Entry / Junior

    $35,450

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Carpet Installers

    Established

    $50,340

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Carpet Installers

    Senior

    $66,240

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Inspect the surface to be covered to determine its condition, and correct any imperfections that might show through carpet or cause carpet to wear unevenly.
  • •Roll out, measure, mark, and cut carpeting to size with a carpet knife, following floor sketches and allowing extra carpet for final fitting.
  • •Join edges of carpet and seam edges where necessary, by sewing or by using tape with glue and heated carpet iron.
  • •Cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges, openings, and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer.
  • •Plan the layout of the carpet, allowing for expected traffic patterns and placing seams for best appearance and longest wear.

Fields of study

Any field

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