Paperhangers

Career Overview

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.

Also Known As

• Bill Poster
• Paper Hanger
• Paperhanger
• Wallpaper Hanger

Alternate Job Titles

• Advertising Installer
• Advertising Poster
• Bill Board Poster
• Bill Poster
• Bill Poster Installer
• Billboard Poster
• Graphics Installer
• Hanger
• Installer
• Paper Hanger
• Paperhanger
• Paperhanging Interior Decorator
• Poster
• Vinyl Hanger
• Vinyl Installer

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.
• Apply adhesives to the backs of paper strips, using brushes, or dunk strips of prepasted wallcovering in water, wiping off any excess adhesive.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Customer and Personal Service
• Building and Construction

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Near Vision
• Manual Dexterity
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Extent Flexibility
• Multilimb Coordination
• Gross Body Equilibrium
• Trunk Strength
• Finger Dexterity
• Information Ordering
• Control Precision

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cautiousness
• Perseverance
• Achievement Orientation

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Working Conditions
• Achievement
• Independence

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Google Docs
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Aluminum straightedges
• Border holdups
• Break off knives
• Broad knives
• Chalk line markers
• Double cutting wallpaper knives
• Drywall power sanders
• Electric bucket heaters
• Extension ladders
• Hand trowels
• Laptop computers
• Laser levels
• Length measuring counters
• Measuring tapes
• Paste beaters

Work Environment

• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
• Spend Time Standing
• Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Freedom to Make Decisions

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$35,020
Median	$48,260
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$69,470

Workers Employed Nationally: 1,520

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.