Carpet Installers
Lay and install carpet from rolls or blocks on floors. Install padding and trim flooring materials.
Also called: Carpet Flooring Installer, Carpet Installation Specialist, Carpet Layer, Carpet Mechanic, Carpet Technician (Carpet Tech), Carpet Tile Layer
Median pay
$50,340
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$35,450 – $82,140
People employed
13,780
Holland code
RCA
Realistic · Conventional · Artistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 2.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 3.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 4.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 5.Are you OK with hours that change?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Carpet Installers pay by state
Annual median pay by state (45 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What carpet installers do
- 01Plan the layout of the carpet, allowing for expected traffic patterns and placing seams for best appearance and longest wear.
- 02Join edges of carpet and seam edges where necessary, by sewing or by using tape with glue and heated carpet iron.
- 03Cut carpet padding to size and install padding, following prescribed method.
- 04Cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges, openings, and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer.
- 05Stretch carpet to align with walls and ensure a smooth surface, and press carpet in place over tack strips or use staples, tape, tacks or glue to hold carpet in place.
- 06Roll out, measure, mark, and cut carpeting to size with a carpet knife, following floor sketches and allowing extra carpet for final fitting.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Building and Construction
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from carpet installers
- Upholsterers87% · −8%
- Furniture Finishers86% · −12%
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing82% · group pay
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic80% · −8%
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters80% · −6%
Change into carpet installers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Upholsterers87% · $46,340
- Furniture Finishers84% · $44,540
- Fence Erectors78% · $47,980
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing78% · $46,170
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators77% · $46,880
Majors that lead here
- Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.