Paperhangers vs Rock Splitters, Quarry: $52K vs $49K Median Pay

Paperhangers vs Rock Splitters, Quarry: what changes?

Consider Paperhangers if you want to cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. Consider Rock Splitters, Quarry if you would rather separate blocks of rough dimension stone from quarry mass using jackhammers, wedges, or chop saws. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Paperhangers and Rock Splitters, Quarry. 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

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

Rock Splitters, Quarry

National median pay (2025): $48,740
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less 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: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Locate grain line patterns to determine how rocks will split when cut.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 400

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (3,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Rock Splitters, Quarry brief

How the national numbers differ

Rock Splitters, Quarry has the edge on projected growth

Rock Splitters, Quarry is at 5.8% projected growth, compared with 4.3% projected growth for Paperhangers.

Paperhangers has the edge on median pay

Paperhangers is at $52,140, compared with $48,740 for Rock Splitters, Quarry.

Rock Splitters, Quarry has the edge on annual openings

Rock Splitters, Quarry is at 400 annual openings, compared with 200 annual openings for Paperhangers.

40.3/ 100

Paperhangers

42.3/ 100

Rock Splitters, Quarry

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