Construction and Extraction
Tapers
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
Also called: Drywall Finisher, Drywall Mechanic, Drywall Taper, Finisher, Patch Guy, Patcher
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $70,810
- $34.05/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 400
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +1.7%
- 30 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- No formal educational credential
- plus Moderate-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,680 | $41,600 | $70,810 | $107,790 | $115,490 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
- Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure4 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 4
- Language-model AIOE 6
- GPTs-are-GPTs 3
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
This job has lower AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. The work is hands-on: pressing tape, spreading compound, and smoothing joints, often on scaffolds or stilts. AI tools may help a little with estimating or scheduling, but they do not do the finishing work.
Likely to change
- Estimating materials and job scheduling
- Planning work around other trades
Still relies on people
- Spreading and smoothing compound by hand
- Working at height on stilts or scaffolds
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Careful hand work and measuring to lines carry over to bricklaying. The move offers an apprenticeship and higher Boston median pay.
- Pay difference
- +$26,150 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +5.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Precise, hands-on building skills carry over to steel work, which offers an apprenticeship and much higher Boston median pay.
- Pay difference
- +$50,030 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.1%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Who employs tapers on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed tapers, not who has openings.
414,857 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Taper).
- 16.2%
- of hours by boston residents
- 75.2%
- of hours by people of color
- 11.2%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Drywall Inc. | 118,656 | 17.2% | 12 |
| McCartney Interiors | 37,312 | 14.2% | 6 |
| Component Assembly Systems | 36,785 | 18.1% | 2 |
| H. Carr & Sons Inc. | 35,376 | 32.4% | 5 |
| International Management Finishing Systems | 29,688 | 14.1% | 2 |
| Bedrock Finishing Llc | 28,556 | 0.2% | 1 |
| American Finish System, Inc. | 21,726 | 32.5% | 1 |
| Genex Construction Group LLC | 19,750 | 10.8% | 4 |
Related occupations
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Roofers
- Construction Laborers
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Tile and Stone Setters
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Floor Sanders and Finishers
- Sheet Metal Workers
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
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