Prevailing Wage for Paperhangers

Prevailing wages for Paperhangers under SOC 47-2142 are set by the DOL across four experience levels, from entry-level hangers to fully competent wall covering contractors. Whether your title reads Bill Poster, Vinyl Hanger, or something else, the wage floor shifts significantly by city, so checking the right metro matters before evaluating any sponsored offer.

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Level 1Entry
National median
$37K
$17.58/hr

Entry-level paperhangers with limited independent experience, typically working under direct supervision on straightforward residential or commercial wallcovering tasks. Workers at this level follow established procedures and have minimal responsibility for complex surface preparation or specialty materials.

Level 2Qualified
National median
$44K
$21.25/hr

Qualified paperhangers with practical field experience who handle standard assignments with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation, covering workers who can independently manage typical wallcovering and surface preparation tasks across varied job sites.

Level 3Experienced
National median
$52K
$24.91/hr

Experienced paperhangers who regularly exercise independent judgment on complex or specialty projects, including decorative fabric installations or large-format billboard work. These workers may informally guide junior crew members and handle non-routine surface conditions with minimal oversight.

Level 4Fully Competent
National median
$59K
$28.58/hr

Fully competent paperhangers with advanced expertise across the full scope of the occupation, including specialty substrates, advertising poster installations, and complex surface remediation. May hold lead or foreman responsibility and are expected to resolve difficult technical problems independently.

Prevailing Wage for Paperhangers by OES area

Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.

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$23K/yr$59K/yr

What’s an OES area?

The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.

Top 10 cities · Level 1

1
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro
$58K$27.90/hr
2
New York, NY
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro
$49K$23.59/hr
3
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro
$41K$19.79/hr

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Prevailing Wage Guide for Paperhangers

Confirm your title matches SOC 47-2142

Employers sometimes file LCAs under painting or general construction SOC codes rather than SOC 47-2142. If your offer letter says Bill Poster or Vinyl Hanger, verify the SOC on the certified LCA matches this specific occupation before accepting, since a misclassified filing sets the wrong wage floor entirely.

Weight San Francisco metro wages carefully

San Francisco area prevailing wages for this occupation run significantly above the national median across all four levels. If your worksite is in the Bay Area, the L1 floor alone clears what a fully competent worker earns nationally, so offers framed against national benchmarks will understate what compliance actually requires.

Watch how signing bonuses are counted toward compliance

DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the annualized salary on the LCA, not total compensation. Signing bonuses paid once or front-loaded installments generally cannot be averaged across the year to close a gap between the offered base wage and the prevailing wage floor for your level.

Find sponsors with a Paperhangers hiring history on Migrate Mate

Migrate Mate shows which employers have previously sponsored workers in this occupation, so you can focus outreach on contractors and facilities companies that have actually filed for hangers and wall covering roles before, rather than employers with no record of sponsoring this SOC.

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Prevailing Wage by Reported Job Title

DOL classifies these titles under SOC 47-2142.00 alongside Paperhangers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.

Bill Board Poster Prevailing Wage

Bill Board Poster positions fall under SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Bill Poster Prevailing Wage

When a U.S. employer sponsors a Bill Poster for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Hanger Prevailing Wage

Hanger is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Paper Hanger Prevailing Wage

Paper Hanger positions fall under SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Vinyl Hanger Prevailing Wage

When a U.S. employer sponsors a Vinyl Hanger for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Wall Covering Contractor Prevailing Wage

Wall Covering Contractor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Wall Covering Installer Prevailing Wage

Wall Covering Installer positions fall under SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Wallpaper Hanger Prevailing Wage

When a U.S. employer sponsors a Wallpaper Hanger for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Wallpaper Installer Prevailing Wage

Wallpaper Installer is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2142.00 (Paperhangers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.

Level 1
Entry
$37K
$17.58/hr
Level 2
Qualified
$44K
$21.25/hr
Level 3
Experienced
$52K
$24.91/hr
Level 4
Fully Competent
$59K
$28.58/hr

Frequently Asked Questions

How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Paperhangers?

DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages for each occupation by metropolitan area. For Paperhangers under SOC 47-2142, OFLC assigns wages across four levels based on regional survey data. Employers sponsoring a worker must certify on the Labor Condition Application that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite location.

What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?

DOL defines Level 1 as entry-level with close supervision, Level 2 as qualified with routine independent work, Level 3 as experienced with complex assignments and some guidance of others, and Level 4 as fully competent with broad independent authority. Your level should reflect your actual duties and supervision requirements as described in the LCA, not simply years of service. USCIS and OFLC both review whether the stated level matches the position description.

Why does the prevailing wage for the same Paperhangers role vary so much by city?

OFLC sets wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so each metropolitan area reflects local labor market conditions, union density, and cost of living. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's wage applies, not the employer's headquarters. San Francisco wages for this occupation run substantially above New York or Los Angeles floors, which themselves vary considerably, because each survey captures what employers in that specific market actually pay.

What happens if an offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?

An employer cannot certify a Labor Condition Application with an offered wage below the applicable prevailing wage level. If OFLC detects a shortfall during review, the LCA will not be certified, blocking the H-1B or other sponsored visa petition entirely. If an underpayment is discovered after approval, DOL Wage and Hour Division can require back wages and bar the employer from future LCA filings. The employee bears no penalty, but the sponsored status is at risk.

How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Paperhangers in a specific U.S. location?

Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 47-2142 by metropolitan area and experience level. Enter the worksite city or county to retrieve the current DOL prevailing wage for each of the four levels. Cross-check the wage listed on any LCA your employer provides. To see which companies have previously sponsored workers in this occupation, Migrate Mate lets you filter by role and review employer-level sponsorship history before applying.

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