Prevailing Wage for Tapers
Prevailing wage rates for Tapers under SOC 47-2082 are set by DOL and vary by experience level and work location. Whether your title reads Drywall Finisher, Drywall Mechanic, or Drywall Taper, DOL assigns four wage levels, and the floor for a sponsored position in Chicago or Boston differs sharply from one in Dallas or Provo.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Tapers with limited experience, typically performing routine taping and joint-finishing tasks under direct supervision. Workers at this level follow established procedures and do not yet independently select materials or methods for varied wallboard conditions.
Level 2 applies to qualified Tapers who work with moderate supervision and handle a range of finishing tasks including texture matching and multi-coat application. This is the most common filing level for sponsored Tapers positions, reflecting standard journeyman-level field experience.
Level 3 covers experienced Tapers who work independently, troubleshoot complex surface or moisture conditions, and may coordinate workflow with other trades. Employers filing at this level typically require several years of verified journey-level finishing experience on commercial or large residential projects.
Level 4 applies to fully competent lead Tapers who set quality standards, oversee finishing crews, and are accountable for project outcomes. These workers bring specialized expertise in custom textures, high-end residential finishes, or large-scale commercial drywall programs and require minimal to no supervision.
Prevailing Wage for Tapers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
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
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Tapers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your filing level matches your finishing scope
Sponsors sometimes file Drywall Finisher roles at Level 1 even when the position requires multi-coat texture work and independent judgment. Verify the posted level aligns with the actual scope before accepting an offer, because an incorrect level filing sets a floor lower than your work warrants.
Watch for union-rate gaps in high-wage metros
In Chicago and Boston, prevailing wage floors for Tapers track closely with union scale agreements, which means the DOL floor in those metros is substantially higher than in right-to-work states like Texas. An offer that meets the national median may still fall short of the local floor.
Verify the worksite city, not the employer headquarters
LCA prevailing wage is tied to the physical worksite address, not where the company is incorporated. A Drywall Mechanic hired by a San Francisco firm but working a Provo job site is benchmarked to Provo rates, which sit well below California levels.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with Tapers sponsorship history
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Tapers and Drywall Finisher roles, so you can focus your search on contractors and construction firms that have already navigated the LCA process rather than approaching sponsors with no track record in this trade.
Jobs for Tapers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for TapersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 47-2082.00 alongside Tapers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Drywall Finisher Prevailing Wage
Drywall Finisher Prevailing Wage
Drywall Finisher positions fall under SOC 47-2082.00 (Tapers). 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.
Drywall Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Drywall Mechanic Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Drywall Mechanic for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2082.00 (Tapers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Drywall Taper Prevailing Wage
Drywall Taper Prevailing Wage
Drywall Taper is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2082.00 (Tapers). 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.
Finisher Prevailing Wage
Finisher Prevailing Wage
Finisher positions fall under SOC 47-2082.00 (Tapers). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Tapers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for Tapers using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metro areas. For each area, DOL divides wage observations into four levels based on the experience and complexity distribution within the occupation. Employers sponsoring a Taper for H-1B or PERM must pay at or above the level that matches the actual job duties.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
Level 1 reflects entry-level work under close supervision. Level 2 covers qualified workers handling a standard range of finishing tasks, and it is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 applies to experienced workers operating independently. Level 4 covers lead or senior finishers overseeing quality and crew. OFLC guidance maps each level to factors including supervision, judgment, and task complexity, so the match should reflect your actual day-to-day responsibilities, not just your years on the job.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Taper role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so wages reflect local labor market conditions, union density, and construction volume. A Drywall Finisher in Chicago or Boston draws from a market with strong union scale agreements and high construction demand, producing a much higher floor than a comparable role in Dallas or Provo. The LCA must list the actual worksite address, so the metro where the work occurs, not where the employer is headquartered, determines the applicable wage.
What happens if a sponsored Taper offer is below the prevailing wage?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B petition, and OFLC will not certify a PERM application, if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage for the worksite location and experience level. The employer must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor before filing or correct the wage level designation. Accepting an offer below the floor does not create a compliance pathway. For green card cases, DOL may audit the employer's wage commitment if a discrepancy is identified.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Tapers location?
The most direct method is the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 47-2082 by metro area and experience level. Select the worksite metropolitan statistical area that matches the job address, choose the wage level that fits the role description, and confirm the figure against your offer letter. O*NET provides additional occupational context if you need to verify which tasks correspond to each level. Migrate Mate lets you filter sponsored Tapers and Drywall Finisher listings by location so you can compare active offers against the floor before applying.
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