Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

Overview Nature of Work Knowledge Areas Skills Utilized Job Activities Abilities Job Conditions Work Satisfaction Education/Training

Educational Attainment Breakdown for Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles College or Higher 4.4% Some College 17.0% High School or Less 78.6%

Most Significant Source of Postsecondary Education or Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: U.S. Department of Labor

The vast majority of carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers learn their trade informally on the job. Some workers, mostly tile setters, learn through formal apprenticeship programs, which include classroom instruction and paid on-the-job training.

Education and training. Most carpet installers receive short-term on-the-job training, often sponsored by individual contractors; therefore, a high school diploma usually is not required. Workers start as helpers and begin with simple assignments, such as installing stripping and padding, or helping to stretch newly installed carpet. With experience, helpers take on more difficult assignments, such as cutting and fitting.

Tile and marble setters learn their craft mostly through long-term on-the-job training. They start by helping carry materials and learning about the tools of the trade, and later they take on more difficult tasks, such as preparing the subsurface for tile or marble. As tile and marble setters progress, they learn to cut the tile and marble to fit the job. They also learn to apply grout and sealants to give the product its final appearance. Apprenticeship programs and some contractor-sponsored programs provide comprehensive training in all phases of the tilesetting and floor layer trades.

Other floor layers also learn on the job and begin by learning how to use the tools of the trade. As they progress, they learn how to cut and install the various floor coverings.

Other qualifications. Good manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, physical fitness, and sense of balance and color are some of the skills needed to become carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers. The ability to solve basic arithmetic problems quickly and accurately also is required. In addition, reliability and a good work history are viewed favorably by contractors.

Advancement. Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers sometimes advance to become supervisors, salespersons, or estimators. In these positions, they must be able to estimate the time, money, and quantity of materials needed to complete a job.

Some carpet installers may become managers for large installation firms. For those interested in advancement, it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in both English and Spanish because Spanish-speaking workers make up a large part of the construction workforce in many areas. Workers who want to advance to supervisor jobs or become independent contractors also need good English skills to deal with clients and subcontractors.

Many carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers who begin working for someone else eventually go into business for themselves as independent contractors.

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