Occupation salary profile

Floor Sanders and Finishers

SOC 47-2043 BLS OEWS May 2025

Scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machine, and apply coats of finish.

National median · BLS
$50,440
▲ +2.62% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$52,460
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
3,720
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Floor Sanders and Finishers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$37,070
25th$41,600
Median (50th)$50,440
75th$59,620
90th — top pay$70,340

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Floor Sanders and Finishers

BLS projects employment of floor sanders and finishers to grow 1.4% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
4,700 → 4,700
+100 jobs
Projected change
+1.4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
21.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Floor Sanders and Finishers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operation and Control3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Coordination3.0
  • Monitoring2.9
  • Operations Monitoring2.9
  • Time Management2.9
  • Complex Problem Solving2.8
  • Critical Thinking2.8
  • Speaking2.8
  • Active Learning2.6
Top knowledge areas
  • Building and Construction4.1
  • Customer and Personal Service4.1
  • English Language3.6
  • Production and Processing3.3
  • Administration and Management3.0
  • Mechanical3.0
  • Mathematics2.9
  • Design2.8
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelFloor planning softwareFloorCOST Estimator for ExcelFlooring Technologies QFloorsMeasure SquarePacific Solutions FloorRightVimeo

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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.

About the job

What floor sanders and finishers do

  • Buff and vacuum floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to the application of finish.
  • Scrape and sand floor edges and areas inaccessible to floor sanders, using scrapers, disk-type sanders, and sandpaper.
  • Inspect floors for smoothness.
  • Attach sandpaper to rollers of sanding machines.
  • Guide sanding machines over surfaces of floors until surfaces are smooth.
  • Apply filler compound and coats of finish to floors to seal wood.
  • Remove excess glue from joints, using knives, scrapers, or wood chisels.
Also called
Floor FinisherFloor MechanicFloor SanderHardwood Floor SanderFinisherFloor RefinisherFloor Sander and FinisherHardwood Floor Finisher and SanderHardwood Floor RefinisherSander
More job titles for this occupation (12)
Bowling Alley RefinisherFloor RenovatorFloor Sanding Machine OperatorFloor ScraperFloor SurfacerFloorerHardwood FinisherLiquid Floor and Wall ApplierRefinisherScraperSurfacerWood Floor Refinisher

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.