Headline risk
3%
Very Low RiskTapers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 64,700
Employment 2024
15.6K
Projected Change (2024–34)
0.1%
Openings (2024–34)
1.1K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas. AI use: 0%
- 2. Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints. AI use: 0%
- 3. Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth. AI use: 0%
- 4. Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering. AI use: 0%
- 5. Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard. AI use: 0%
- 6. Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 37.8 · 122K employed
Under 25: 13% · 25–54: 69% · 55+: 19%
Related
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Drywall and ceiling tile installers hang wallboard and install ceiling tile inside buildings. Tapers prepare the wallboard for painting.
Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers work indoors. Workers spend most of the day standing, bending, or reaching, and they often must lift and maneuver heavy wallboard.
Most drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers learn their trade on the job. A formal educational credential is typically not required to enter the occupation.
The median annual wage for drywall and ceiling tile installers was $58,140 in May 2024.
Overall employment of drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.