# Tapers

> Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.

- **SOC code:** 47-2082.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2082-00
- **Also known as:** Drywall Finisher, Drywall Taper, Finisher, Taper, Drywall Mechanic, Sheet Rock Taper, Spackler, Wall Taper
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Spread sealing compound between boards or panels or over cracks, holes, nail heads, or screw heads, using trowels, broadknives, or spatulas.
- Press paper tape over joints to embed tape into sealing compound and to seal joints.
- Apply additional coats to fill in holes and make surfaces smooth.
- Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surfaces for painting or papering.
- Spread and smooth cementing material over tape, using trowels or floating machines to blend joints with wall surfaces.
- Sand or patch nicks or cracks in plasterboard or wallboard.
- Mix sealing compounds by hand or with portable electric mixers.
- Work on high ceilings, using scaffolding or other tools, such as stilts.
- Select the correct sealing compound or tape.
- Countersink nails or screws below surfaces of walls before applying sealing compounds, using hammers or screwdrivers.
- Remove extra compound after surfaces have been covered sufficiently.
- Install metal molding at wall corners to secure wallboard.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Trunk Strength _(ability)_
- Extent Flexibility _(ability)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Monitoring _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Social Perceptiveness _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Intuit QuickBooks _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Applied Computer Systems JOBPOWER
- Construction Software Center EasyEst
- DevWave Estimate Works
- Microsoft Dynamics
- On Center Quick Bid
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 3rd percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 5th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 3rd percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 10th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 53rd percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 0.1% growth (About average); 1.1k annual openings; 15.6k → 15.6k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $64,700; 12,500 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2082-00_