AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-2082.00

Will AI replace Tapers?

Tapers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 16 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 16 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Tapers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Select the correct sealing compound or tape. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Remove extra compound after surfaces have been covered sufficiently. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Apply texturizing compounds or primers to walls or ceilings before final finishing, using trowels, brushes, rollers, or spray guns. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Check adhesives to ensure that they will work and will remain durable. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Use mechanical applicators that spread compounds and embed tape in one operation. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Sand rough spots of dried cement between applications of compounds. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers. 8 Estimated No tier 4.0

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 16 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 16 of 16. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 6% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 6% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 94% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
12,840
Median annual wage
$68,270
Middle half of earners
$52,730 to $88,540
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+0.1%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Tapers and AI

Will AI replace Tapers?

Not on current evidence. None of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 15 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Tapers?

15 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 16 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 16 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Tapers tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard, at 20 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 6% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 94% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Tapers, and what do they earn?

12,840 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $68,270 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +0.1% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Tapers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/tapers

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