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Skilled Trades

Tapers

Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.

Median salary (BLS)

$68,270

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$44k – $107k

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 "Tapers" — 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 Tapers

    Entry / Junior

    $43,670

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Tapers

    Established

    $68,270

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Tapers

    Senior

    $87,690

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
  • •Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
  • •Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
  • •Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
  • •Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.