Tapers pay in the U.S.
$72,710avg. a year
$34.96 an hour · 12,840 employed
Tapers in the U.S. earn an average of $72,710 a year and a median of $68,270. Pay is highest in Illinois ($107,380) and lowest in North Carolina ($41,660).
$68,270Median pay
$34.96Average hourly
+17%Avg. pay since 2020
12,840Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for tapers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1320 jobs
Illinois
$107,380
$51.63 an hour
2170 jobs
Hawaii
$88,780
$42.68 an hour
3
New York
$82,070
$39.46 an hour
4220 jobs
Minnesota
$79,930
$38.43 an hour
51,550 jobs
Washington
$77,070
$37.05 an hour
6500 jobs
Oregon
$76,980
$37.01 an hour
760 jobs
Pennsylvania
$76,290
$36.68 an hour
84,540 jobs
California
$76,260
$36.67 an hour
9110 jobs
Ohio
$75,540
$36.32 an hour
10510 jobs
Massachusetts
$73,580
$35.37 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Tapers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $55k$55k–$66k$66k–$76k$76k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $105,620 | $50.78 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $99,680 | $47.92 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $90,220 | $43.37 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $88,800 | $42.69 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $82,520 | $39.67 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81,400 | $39.14 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $80,130 | $38.52 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $78,060 | $37.53 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Tapers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $57,890 | $56,300 | 780 |
| California | $76,260 | $73,460 | 4,540 |
| Colorado | $53,130 | $54,500 | – |
| Connecticut | $68,350 | $63,600 | 80 |
| Florida | $47,280 | $49,400 | – |
| Hawaii | $88,780 | $95,490 | 170 |
| Idaho | $60,000 | $57,690 | 310 |
| Illinois | $107,380 | $113,180 | 320 |
| Indiana | $56,460 | $42,810 | 120 |
| Iowa | $64,010 | $66,980 | 100 |
| Kansas | $67,570 | $74,120 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $73,580 | $65,060 | 510 |
| Michigan | $63,060 | $63,630 | 190 |
| Minnesota | $79,930 | $78,090 | 220 |
| Missouri | $66,040 | $63,020 | 220 |
| Nevada | $65,990 | $60,690 | 1,190 |
| New Mexico | $52,040 | $48,320 | 60 |
| New York | $82,070 | $77,790 | – |
| North Carolina | $41,660 | $45,770 | – |
| Ohio | $75,540 | $73,840 | 110 |
| Oregon | $76,980 | $71,450 | 500 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,290 | $82,240 | 60 |
| Texas | $44,420 | $43,670 | 220 |
| Utah | $55,400 | $52,930 | 210 |
| Washington | $77,070 | $79,040 | 1,550 |
| West Virginia | $42,730 | $41,600 | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $56,010 | $57,840 | 70 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$73,810
1,220 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$81,400
1,120 jobsLas Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV
$67,360
900 jobsRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$62,030
730 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$59,480
610 jobsSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$99,680
480 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$90,220
470 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$78,060
420 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do tapers make?
The average is $72,710 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $68,270 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $34.96, and the median is $32.82 an hour.
Which state pays tapers the most?
Illinois, with an average of $107,380 a year. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $105,620.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $43,670 a year, and the top 10% earn over $107,110.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 47-2082. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.