Career profile for Paperhanger

What does a Paperhanger do?

Paperhangers cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards.

In addition, Paperhangers may remove old materials or prepare surfaces to be papered.

What kind of tasks does a Paperhanger perform regularly?

Paperhangers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

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.
Measure and cut strips from rolls of wallpaper or fabric, using shears or razors.
Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.
Measure surfaces or review work orders to estimate the quantities of materials needed.
Fill holes, cracks, and other surface imperfections preparatory to covering surfaces.
Apply sizing to seal surfaces and maximize adhesion of coverings to surfaces.
Smooth rough spots on walls and ceilings, using sandpaper.
Set up equipment, such as pasteboards and scaffolds.
Remove old paper, using water, steam machines, or solvents and scrapers.
Apply thinned glue to waterproof porous surfaces, using brushes, rollers, or pasting machines.
Mix paste, using paste powder and water, and brush paste onto surfaces.

The above responsibilities are specific to Paperhangers. More generally, Paperhangers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment		Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships		Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

What is a Paperhanger salary?

The median salary for a Paperhanger is $43,560, and the average salary is $49,820. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Paperhanger salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Paperhangers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Paperhangers earn less than $27,070 per year, 25% earn less than $34,390, 75% earn less than $55,550, and 90% earn less than $91,340.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Paperhangers is expected to change by 6.5%, and there should be roughly 400 open positions for Paperhangers every year.

Median annual salary: $43,560
Typical salary range: $27,070 - $91,340
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 6.5%

What personality traits are common among Paperhangers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Paperhanger are usually higher in their Realistic and Conventional interests.

Paperhangers typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Also, Paperhangers typically have moderate Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Paperhanger tend to value Relationships, Support, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Paperhangers somewhat value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Paperhangers somewhat value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Lastly, Paperhangers somewhat value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Paperhangers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and initiative.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Paperhangers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

What education and training do Paperhangers need?

Working as a Paperhanger usually requires a high school diploma.

Paperhangers need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Paperhangers

34.1% did not complete high school or secondary school
39.2% completed high school or secondary school
15.6% completed some college coursework
4.5% earned a Associate's degree
5.3% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.1% earned a Master's degree
0.2% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Paperhangers

Paperhangers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, building and construction, or mathematics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Paperhangers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Important Abilities needed by Paperhangers

Paperhangers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Paperhangers need abilities such as manual dexterity, near vision, and arm-hand steadiness in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Paperhangers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Multilimb Coordination		The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Extent Flexibility		The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Multilimb Coordination

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Extent Flexibility

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Critical Skills needed by Paperhangers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Paperhangers frequently use skills like active listening, speaking, and coordination to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Paperhangers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination		Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Time Management		Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

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