Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

Career Overview

Apply blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors.

Also Known As

• Floor Covering Contractor
• Floor Coverings Installer
• Flooring Installer
• Vinyl Installer

Alternate Job Titles

• Asphalt Tile Floor Layer
• Commercial Installer
• Composition Floor Layer
• Composition Floor Setter
• Composition Tile Layer
• Cork Floor Installer
• Epoxy Installer
• Floor Cover Layer
• Floor Covering Contractor
• Floor Covering Installer
• Floor Covering Layer
• Floor Coverings Installer
• Floor Installer
• Floor Layer
• Floor Technician (Floor Tech)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering.
• Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions.
• Inspect surface to be covered to ensure that it is firm and dry.
• Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint.
• Form a smooth foundation by stapling plywood or Masonite over the floor or by brushing waterproof compound onto surface and filling cracks with plaster, putty, or grout to seal pores.
• Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers.
• Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Building and Construction
• Customer and Personal Service
• Mathematics

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Near Vision
• Extent Flexibility
• Oral Comprehension
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
• Oral Expression
• Static Strength
• Problem Sensitivity
• Finger Dexterity
• Manual Dexterity
• Speech Clarity

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

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

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Support
• Independence
• Working Conditions
• Relationships
• Achievement

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

• Facebook
• Microsoft Office software

Tools & Equipment

• Adhesive spreaders
• Adhesive syringes
• Adjustable wedges
• Appliance sliders
• Automatic plasma arc welding machines
• Aviation snips
• Bar scribers
• Base molding lifters
• Broad knives
• Bubble levels
• Butane torches
• Chalk line markers
• Claw clamps
• Claw hammers
• Concrete floats

Work Environment

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
• Contact With Others
• Freedom to Make Decisions
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$37,190
Median	$54,340
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$97,180

Workers Employed Nationally: 24,850

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.