How to become a Floor Layer
Official title: Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Also called: Floor Covering Contractor, Floor Coverings Installer, Floor Installer, Floor Layer, Flooring Installer, Flooring Mechanic, Tile Installer, Tile Setter, Vinyl Installer, Vinyl Mechanic
Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.
Main tasks
- Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.
- Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
- Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
- Roll and press sheet wall and floor covering into cement base to smooth and finish surface, using hand roller.
- Lay out, position, and apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors, walls, and cabinets, following guidelines to keep courses straight and create designs.
- Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
- Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
- Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
How to become one
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their trade on the job, sometimes starting as a helper .
Typical education to start: No formal educational credential
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Floor Cover (Existing Title: Floor Layer).
- Apprenticeship: Floor Cover Layer (Rr Equip).
- Apprenticeship: Soft Tile Setter (Const).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $56,460 a year The middle half earn $45,660 to $73,840.
- About 29,800 people work in this job now, and about 32,400 are projected by 2035. (+9%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Floor Layer?
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their trade on the job, sometimes starting as a helper .
How much does a Floor Layer earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $56,460 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,660 to $73,840.
Is a Floor Layer a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 9% by 2035, from about 29,800 to about 32,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Floor Layer?
Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Floor Cover (Existing Title: Floor Layer).
Will AI change the work of a Floor Layer?
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
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.