What Does a Flooring Installer Do?
Most owners put a lot of thought into the color and pattern of a new floor. But these same owners rarely see the work underneath it: leveling the subfloor, testing moisture and rolling the adhesive so seams stay flat. Flooring installers do that work, laying vinyl, linoleum, rubber and other resilient floors in homes, schools, hospitals and offices.
Also known as: Floor Covering Installer
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Floor Covering Contractor, Floor Coverings Installer, Floor Layer, Flooring Mechanic, Tile Installer, Tile Setter, Vinyl Installer.
Flooring Installer Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a flooring installer include:
- Remove old flooring and adhesive, scraping and grinding the subfloor clean.
- Test concrete for moisture and pH before installing, and record the readings.
- Level and patch subfloors with self-leveling compound and floor patch.
- Measure rooms and plan layouts to hide seams and cut waste.
- Cut and fit sheet vinyl, luxury vinyl tile and rubber around doorways, pipes and cabinets.
- Spread adhesive with the right trowel notch and roll floors to set the bond.
- Heat-weld seams in sheet flooring for hospitals, labs and other areas that need sealed floors.
- Install cove base, transitions and stair treads for a finished edge.
- Move furniture, protect finished floors and clean up the site at the end of each day.
- Explain care and cleaning instructions to owners or building maintenance staff.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a flooring installer, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Floor preparation and leveling
- Moisture testing methods and meters
- Seam heat-welding for sheet goods
- Accurate measuring and layout
- Stamina for long hours kneeling and lifting rolls
- Scrapers, grinders, rollers and cutting tools
- Reading floor plans and finish schedules
- Neat, careful workmanship
Education and Training
Experience of cutting and seaming sheet vinyl could lead to a lead installer post, and most people get it by working as helpers first. Some start out through an apprenticeship or a manufacturer's installation course. Many employers do not require a diploma.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $45,660 - $73,840 per year, with a median of $56,460.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles.
BLS projects employment of floor layers who work with materials other than carpet, wood and hard tile to grow about 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year. That is solid growth for a small trade. Installers who can heat-weld seams and handle commercial work tend to find the steadiest jobs, given that hospitals and schools need sealed, hard-wearing floors.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles.
Flooring Installer Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $37,600 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $45,660 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $56,460 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $73,840 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $96,700 |
Highest-Paying States for Flooring Installers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Alaska ($92,860), Massachusetts ($79,280), Hawaii ($77,280), Illinois ($69,880), New York ($61,360). Pay is lowest in Alabama ($38,730), Oklahoma ($38,030), Montana ($37,710).
Median pay in all 44 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,730 |
| Alaska | $92,860 |
| Arizona | $44,740 |
| Arkansas | $40,750 |
| California | $61,210 |
| Colorado | $46,020 |
| Connecticut | $47,210 |
| Florida | $57,020 |
| Georgia | $46,030 |
| Hawaii | $77,280 |
| Illinois | $69,880 |
| Indiana | $50,720 |
| Iowa | $54,960 |
| Kansas | $45,970 |
| Kentucky | $50,380 |
| Louisiana | $42,260 |
| Maine | $53,390 |
| Maryland | $47,880 |
| Massachusetts | $79,280 |
| Michigan | $46,800 |
| Minnesota | $59,380 |
| Mississippi | $49,240 |
| Missouri | $54,710 |
| Montana | $37,710 |
| Nevada | $58,540 |
| New Jersey | $59,840 |
| New Mexico | $49,790 |
| New York | $61,360 |
| North Carolina | $51,700 |
| North Dakota | $48,050 |
| Ohio | $59,470 |
| Oklahoma | $38,030 |
| Oregon | $56,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,050 |
| South Carolina | $49,860 |
| South Dakota | $58,930 |
| Tennessee | $49,900 |
| Texas | $43,070 |
| Utah | $47,900 |
| Vermont | $51,200 |
| Virginia | $50,440 |
| Washington | $56,800 |
| West Virginia | $45,390 |
| Wisconsin | $52,860 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 68% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 90% |
| Less than high school | 6% |
Tools and Software Flooring Installers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Mechanical, Production and Processing.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Flooring Installer Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 47-2042.00 (Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.