Carpet Installer

O*NET: Carpet Installers·47-2041.00

The Verdict:Carpet installation requires hands-on handling of heavy rolls, precise cutting, seaming, and stretching to fit unique floors, stairs, and obstacles. No robotics manage the physical variability and on-site adjustments. Tools aid planning and measurements, boosting efficiency, but the skilled craft endures. Steady construction demand supports long-term stability.

Resilience Score

/100

Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$50k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

-9.6%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 0 of 17 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
14 of 17 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 18% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

0exposed

3AI leverage

14human-essential

View all 17 tasks

AI Can Handle This0 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

No exposed tasks identified

AI Leverage3 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Plan the layout of the carpet, allowing for expected traffic patterns and placing seams for best appearance and longest wear.

Take measurements and study floor sketches to calculate the area to be carpeted and the amount of material needed.

Draw building diagrams and record dimensions.

Human Advantage14 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Inspect the surface to be covered to determine its condition, and correct any imperfections that might show through carpet or cause carpet to wear unevenly.

Roll out, measure, mark, and cut carpeting to size with a carpet knife, following floor sketches and allowing extra carpet for final fitting.

Join edges of carpet and seam edges where necessary, by sewing or by using tape with glue and heated carpet iron.

Cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges, openings, and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer.

Stretch carpet to align with walls and ensure a smooth surface, and press carpet in place over tack strips or use staples, tape, tacks or glue to hold carpet in place.

Install carpet on some floors using adhesive, following prescribed method.

Clean up before and after installation, including vacuuming carpet and discarding remnant pieces.

Measure, cut and install tackless strips along the baseboard or wall.

Nail tack strips around area to be carpeted or use old strips to attach edges of new carpet.

Cut carpet padding to size and install padding, following prescribed method.

Fasten metal treads across door openings or where carpet meets flooring to hold carpet in place.

Move furniture from area to be carpeted and remove old carpet and padding.

Cut and bind material.

Cut and install vinyl composition tile or vinyl base.

Resilience Landscape

Carpet Installer lands in Stable, Lower Pay

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