Fence Erectors vs Paperhangers: $48K vs $52K Median Pay

Fence Erectors vs Paperhangers: what changes?

Consider Fence Erectors if you want to erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools. Consider Paperhangers if you would rather cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Fence Erectors and Paperhangers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Fence Erectors

National median pay (2025): $47,980
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,500

Know before you choose

Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

See the full Fence Erectors brief

Paperhangers

National median pay (2025): $52,140
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 200

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (2,300 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Paperhangers brief

How the national numbers differ

Fence Erectors has the edge on annual openings

Fence Erectors is at 2,500 annual openings, compared with 200 annual openings for Paperhangers.

Paperhangers has the edge on median pay

Paperhangers is at $52,140, compared with $47,980 for Fence Erectors.

Fence Erectors has the edge on projected growth

Fence Erectors is at 5.6% projected growth, compared with 4.3% projected growth for Paperhangers.

50.2/ 100

Fence Erectors

40.3/ 100

Paperhangers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence