Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Machines can already do 20% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 59%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 20% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 59% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 23,640 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $56,460 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 80% for contact with people.
- Also called: Floor Covering Contractor, Floor Coverings Installer, Floor Installer, Floor Layer.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lay out, position, and apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative coverings to floors, walls, and cabinets, following guidelines to keep courses straight and create designs | 18% | 20% to 60% | |
| Trim excess covering materials, tack edges, and join sections of covering material to form tight joint | 10% | 20% to 60% | |
| Sweep, scrape, sand, or chip dirt and irregularities to clean base surfaces, correcting imperfections that may show through the covering | 10% | 20% to 60% | |
| Cut covering and foundation materials, according to blueprints and sketches | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Cut flooring material to fit around obstructions | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Form a smooth foundation by stapling plywood or Masonite over the floor or by brushing waterproof compound onto surface and filling cracks with plaster, putty, or grout to seal pores | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Apply adhesive cement to floor or wall material to join and adhere foundation material | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Measure and mark guidelines on surfaces or foundations, using chalk lines and dividers | 7% | 30% to 75% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $39,460
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers57% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,300
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $50,270
- Paperhangers55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $52,140
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles?
Machines can do 20% of the tasks of floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles today and 59% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 47-2042.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/floor-layers-except-carpet-wood-and-hard-tiles/