Flooring Jobs

Flooring trade workers, including floor layers, tile and stone setters, and floor sanders, install and finish various flooring materials in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. According to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for floor layers (except carpet, wood, and hard tiles), the median hourly wage is $23.48 and the median annual wage is $48,840 as of May 2023 data. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) groups related roles as flooring installers and tile and stone setters with a median annual wage of $52,000 ($25.00/hour) in May 2024 and projects 6% job growth from 2024 to 2034, faster than average, with about 8,400 annual openings.

Employment for floor layers stands at 25,150 nationwide, concentrated in states like California (6,240 workers, $63,650 mean annual) and Florida. Floor sanders and finishers, a smaller group of 5,070, have a median annual wage of $47,760. The trade typically requires no formal education but benefits from on-the-job training; common certifications include those from the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) for wood flooring, Tile Council of North America (TCNA) for tile installation, and OSHA safety cards, though licenses vary by state and locality.