How to hire tapers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth. • Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers. • Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers. • Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints. • Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering. • 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. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Working knowledge of English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $32.82 an hour ($68,270 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for tapers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What tapers do
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
- Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers.
- Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers.
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- 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.
Education, experience and outlook for tapers
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -1.6% over ten years, little or no change · about 900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay tapers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $79,040 |
| California | $73,460 |
| Oregon | $71,450 |
| Massachusetts | $65,060 |
| Nevada | $60,690 |
Related hiring guides
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Roofers
- Construction Laborers
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Tile and Stone Setters
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.