Paperhangers
Cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. May remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered.
Paperhangers cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. May remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered. The role reports a median annual salary of $48,260 in the US and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.41 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include work ergonomically, mix wallpaper paste, snap chalk line, protect surfaces during construction work, hang wallpaper.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £32,763 a year for Painters and decorators (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £28,462 to £39,007 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5323). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Paperhangers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Design
What you'd actually do
- Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
- Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.
- Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives.
- Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams.
- Mark vertical guidelines on walls to align strips, using plumb bobs and chalk lines.
- Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Paperhangers do?
Cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. May remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered.
How much does Paperhangers earn?
The median annual salary for Paperhangers in the US is $48,260.
What is the job outlook for Paperhangers?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 2,300 workers.
How do I become a paperhangers?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Paperhangers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include work ergonomically, mix wallpaper paste, snap chalk line, protect surfaces during construction work, hang wallpaper, transport construction supplies. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Paperhangers?
Our AI-durability model gives Paperhangers a score of 0.41 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Paperhangers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.