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Floor layer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$56,460median pay per year, or $27.15 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $37,600lowest 10% earn less
  2. $45,66025th percentile
  3. $56,460median
  4. $73,84075th percentile
  5. $96,700top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

The median floor layer earned $56,460 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs in this field are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+9%[2]
Openings per year
2,200[5]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[6]

How much do floor layers make?

This page covers the BLS category Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles. In May 2025 the median wage was $56,460 a year, or $27.15 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $61,760 a year, or $29.69 an hour[7]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[4].

Pay varies widely:

Point Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][8] $37,600 $18.08
25th percentile[3][8] $45,660 $21.95
Median[1] $56,460 $27.15
75th percentile[3][8] $73,840 $35.50
90th percentile[3][8] $96,700 $46.49

A percentile is a boundary. For example, the lowest-paid 10% of floor layers earned less than $37,600[3]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[10]. About 21.2% of floor layers were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Among the 44 states with published data, Alaska had the highest median at $92,860, but with only 70 jobs[12]. Massachusetts came next at $79,280, then Hawaii at $77,280[12]. Montana had the lowest listed median at $37,710[12].

California had the most jobs at 4,330, followed by Florida with 1,660 and Texas with 1,480[13]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $105,280, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH at $98,290[14]. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area had the most jobs, at 1,350[15].

Show median pay in 44 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Alaska[12]$92,86070
Massachusetts$79,2801,060
Hawaii$77,280210
Illinois$69,8801,330
New York$61,360880
California$61,2104,330
Pennsylvania$60,050720
New Jersey$59,840700
Ohio$59,470850
Minnesota$59,380490
South Dakota$58,930180
Nevada$58,540560
Florida$57,0201,660
Washington$56,800370
Oregon$56,460300
Iowa$54,960160
Missouri$54,710590
Maine$53,390120
Wisconsin$52,860700
North Carolina$51,700490
Vermont$51,20060
Indiana$50,720730
Virginia$50,440270
Kentucky$50,380390
Tennessee$49,900200
South Carolina$49,860170
New Mexico$49,790200
Mississippi$49,240100
North Dakota$48,05090
Utah$47,900550
Maryland$47,880450
Connecticut$47,210110
Michigan$46,800670
Georgia$46,030330
Colorado$46,020240
Kansas$45,970180
West Virginia$45,39030
Arizona$44,740610
Texas$43,0701,480
Louisiana$42,26070
Arkansas$40,750210
Alabama$38,730150
Oklahoma$38,030140
Montana$37,71050

How to become a floor layer

BLS lists no formal educational credential and no related work experience as the typical entry requirement. The typical training is moderate-term on-the-job training[6]. In an O*NET survey of 24 workers, 90% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required, and 6% said less than a high school diploma[16].

The training details below come from a Handbook profile that covers a wider group of flooring and tile occupations[17].

Useful qualities include color vision, customer-service skills, attention to detail and math skills[23][24][25][26].

What floor layers do

Floor layers apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening or decorative coverings to floors[27]. Typical tasks include:

Job titles in O*NET include floor installer, flooring mechanic and tile installer[29].

Where they work

The Handbook says that installing flooring, tile and stone is physically demanding. Workers often reach, bend and kneel, and wear protective gear such as kneepads and goggles[30]. Carpet installers and floor sanders and finishers have some of the highest injury and illness rates of all occupations[31]. Most workers in the wider group work full time, and commercial jobs may involve evenings and weekends[32]. Specialty trade contractors employed 58% of the wider group in 2025[33].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 29,800 to 32,400 jobs[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[34]. These counts include the self-employed, so they are higher than the 23,640 wage and salary jobs counted in May 2025[35][2].

About 2,200 openings a year are projected[5]. Openings include jobs created when workers retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 2.3% of workers leave the labor force and 3.8% move to a different occupation[36]. BLS lists rising demand as more consumers choose resilient floor coverings[37].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show median pay above the all-occupations median and faster projected job growth[1][4][2][34]. Entry needs no formal credential, and training happens mostly on the job[6]. The work is physically demanding[30]. Pay also spreads widely, from $37,600 at the 10th percentile to $96,700 at the 90th[3].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[38].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a floor layer make an hour?
The median was $27.15 an hour in May 2025[1]. The 10th percentile was $18.08 and the 90th was $46.49[8].
Do you need a degree to be a floor layer?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement[6].
Is floor layer work in demand?
BLS projects 9% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations[2][34].
What is the highest paying state for floor layers?
Alaska had the highest median at $92,860, followed by Massachusetts at $79,280[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles in the US was $56,460 per year and $27.15 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles is projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 29,800 to 32,400 jobs (a change of +2,700). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: 10th percentile $37,600, 25th percentile $45,660, 75th percentile $73,840, 90th percentile $96,700. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 2,200 openings for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles was $61,760 per year and $29.69 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: 10th percentile $18.08, 25th percentile $21.95, 75th percentile $35.50, 90th percentile $46.49. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 21.2% of Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles jobs: California 4,330; Florida 1,660; Texas 1,480; Illinois 1,330; Massachusetts 1,060. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $105,280; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $98,290; Pittsburgh, PA $80,970; Urban Honolulu, HI $77,280; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $74,970; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $73,280; Toledo, OH $72,850; St. Louis, MO-IL $71,730. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,350 (median $59,090); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,180 (median $61,360); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,010 (median $70,370); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 740 (median $98,290); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 600 (median $74,970); San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 450 (median $56,150). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 47-2042.00 survey of workers (24 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 90%, Less than a High School Diploma 6% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Flooring Installers and Tile and Stone Setters" covers Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Certification. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. O*NET description of Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles. O*NET OnLine
  28. O*NET task list for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET 47-2042.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Floor Covering Contractor, Floor Coverings Installer, Floor Installer, Floor Layer, Flooring Installer, Flooring Mechanic, Tile Installer, Tile Setter. O*NET OnLine
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of flooring installers and tile and stone setters in 2025: Specialty trade contractors 58%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  35. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 23,640 people were employed as Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  36. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: 2.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  37. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: Demand change - share increases as more consumers choose resilient floor coverings. BLS Employment Projections
  38. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.