Tapers
Also called: Drywall Finisher, Drywall Taper, Finisher, Taper FinisherSeal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
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What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 1.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $56,300 | $44,800 to $64,840 | 780 |
| California | $73,460 | $59,760 to $88,540 | 4,540 |
| Colorado | $54,500 | $51,130 to $54,710 | not published |
| Connecticut | $63,600 | $57,390 to $80,840 | 80 |
| Florida | $49,400 | $39,740 to $52,880 | not published |
| Hawaii | $95,490 | $95,290 to $100,740 | 170 |
| Idaho | $57,690 | $48,670 to $62,820 | 310 |
| Illinois | $113,180 | $103,990 to $113,730 | 320 |
| Indiana | $42,810 | $40,440 to $60,400 | 120 |
| Iowa | $66,980 | $56,790 to $70,380 | 100 |
| Kansas | $74,120 | $49,900 to $81,040 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $65,060 | $40,990 to $107,100 | 510 |
| Michigan | $63,630 | $61,460 to $63,880 | 190 |
| Minnesota | $78,090 | $78,080 to $81,440 | 220 |
| Missouri | $63,020 | $50,910 to $82,380 | 220 |
| Nevada | $60,690 | $48,040 to $78,540 | 1,190 |
| New Mexico | $48,320 | $46,430 to $60,780 | 60 |
| New York | $77,790 | $66,820 to $101,030 | not published |
| North Carolina | $45,770 | $37,700 to $45,770 | not published |
| Ohio | $73,840 | $69,270 to $76,810 | 110 |
| Oregon | $71,450 | $58,240 to $94,820 | 500 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,240 | $46,360 to $96,450 | 60 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,570 | $27,570 to $29,540 | 90 |
| Texas | $43,670 | $40,210 to $47,620 | 220 |
| Utah | $52,930 | $50,280 to $57,540 | 210 |
| Washington | $79,040 | $60,630 to $85,000 | 1,550 |
| West Virginia | $41,600 | $31,570 to $60,800 | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $57,840 | $49,400 to $60,550 | 70 |
Nationally: $68,270. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on none of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints. | Not published |
| Not much | Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas. | Not published |
| Not much | Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts. | Not published |
| Not much | Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering. | Not published |
| Not much | Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| Not much | Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard. | Not published |
| Not much | Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers. | Not published |
| Not much | Use mechanical applicators that spread compounds and embed tape in one operation. | Not published |
| Not much | Select the correct sealing compound or tape. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove extra compound after surfaces have been covered sufficiently. | Not published |
| Not much | Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply texturizing compounds or primers to walls or ceilings before final finishing, using trowels, brushes, rollers, or spray guns. | Not published |
| Not much | Check adhesives to ensure that they will work and will remain durable. | Not published |
| Not much | Sand rough spots of dried cement between applications of compounds. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Evaluate production inputs or outputs |
Show all 11 activities
| Build structures | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Climb equipment or structures |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for tapers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 211 moves in
- 1 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 17%
- 2 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 16%
- 3 Court, Municipal, and License Clerks Very high +3.4% 16%
- 4 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Moderate +7.3% 10%
- 5 Machinists Moderate +1.0% 6%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 44% less than high school
- 40% high school
- 12% some college
- 2% associate's
- 2% bachelor's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers” · 975 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
39.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 5.3% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 14.2% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (DRYWALL FINISHER (Existing Title: Taper); TAPER (Alternate Title: Drywall Finisher)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Tapers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/47-2082.00