# Carpet Installers

> Lay and install carpet from rolls or blocks on floors. Install padding and trim flooring materials.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/carpet-installers
- SOC code: 47-2041.00
- Career family: Construction and extraction
- Median annual pay: $50,340 (10th percentile $35,450, 90th percentile $82,140)
- Projected growth: Decline, -16.4%
- Openings a year: 700
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 100 |
| Investigative (I) | 2 |
| Artistic (A) | 16 |
| Social (S) | 5 |
| Enterprising (E) | 0 |
| Conventional (C) | 42 |

## What you'd do

- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 90/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 87/100)
- Getting Information (importance 79/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 73/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 68/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 67/100)
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information (importance 65/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 65/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 62/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 61/100)

## Skills

Coordination, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Quality Control Analysis, Time Management, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Administration and Management, English Language, Building and Construction, Production and Processing, Education and Training, Mechanical, Design, Public Safety and Security

## Also called

Carpet Flooring Installer, Carpet Installation Specialist, Carpet Layer, Carpet Mechanic, Carpet Technician (Carpet Tech), Carpet Tile Layer, Commercial Carpet Installer, Commercial Floor Covering Installer, Floor Coverer, Floor Coverer Installer

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4604) (CIP 4604, 319 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Utah Valley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-valley-university-3103) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $82,443 | $97,793 | $11,042 |
| [The University of Texas at San Antonio](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio-2767) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $74,627 | $90,691 | $17,750 |
| [Tuskegee University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/tuskegee-university-2832) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $74,054 | $87,107 | not reported |
| [Pennsylvania College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pennsylvania-college-of-technology-2096) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $69,819 | $74,310 | $27,000 |

## Related careers

- [Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/floor-layers-except-carpet-wood-and-hard-tiles): $56,460 median pay
- [Tile and Stone Setters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/tile-and-stone-setters): $55,690 median pay
- [Floor Sanders and Finishers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/floor-sanders-and-finishers): $50,440 median pay
- [Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/insulation-workers-floor-ceiling-and-wall): $49,120 median pay
- [Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/drywall-and-ceiling-tile-installers): $58,930 median pay
- [Furniture Finishers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/furniture-finishers): $44,540 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.