How much do floor layers make in New Jersey in 2026?

Floor layers in New Jersey earn a median annual wage of $59,840, which works out to about $28.77 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits right in the middle of the pack — half the floor layers in the state earn more, half earn less. It's a useful anchor, but the spread around it tells the more important story.

At the 25th percentile, floor layers take home $57,660 a year, or roughly $27.72 an hour. Workers at this level are typically earlier in their careers, working for smaller contractors, or concentrated in lower-cost regions of the state. The gap between the 25th percentile and the median is relatively tight here — only about $2,180 a year — which suggests that a large share of floor layers in New Jersey cluster in a similar wage band at the lower end of the scale.

The real divergence shows up at the top. Floor layers at the 75th percentile earn $118,840 annually, equal to about $57.13 an hour. That is nearly double the median and more than double the 25th percentile wage. Workers at this level have typically accumulated years of experience, specialize in complex or high-end flooring systems — think large-format tile, intricate hardwood inlay, epoxy and resinous flooring, or commercial carpet and resilient systems — and often work on large commercial, institutional, or industrial projects where job complexity and tight deadlines command premium pay.

New Jersey's geography plays into these numbers. The northern part of the state, including the areas feeding into New York City's construction market, tends to push wages higher due to cost of living, project scale, and demand from dense commercial and residential development. The Shore region and central Jersey also see steady residential work, though at generally lower rates than the metro-north corridor.

Specialty matters a lot in floor laying. A worker who can handle only basic vinyl plank or carpet installation will sit near the lower percentiles. One who is certified or highly experienced in moisture mitigation, radiant heat system installation, sports flooring, or specialty hardwood finishing can command rates well above the median. The same goes for workers who move into supervisory or estimating roles — those positions frequently push total compensation beyond what's reflected in the hourly wage figures.

No union scale data is available for floor layers in New Jersey through BLS OEWS, so the figures on this page reflect the full mix of union and non-union workers across all employer types and project sizes in the state.

Hours also affect take-home pay. Floor layers in New Jersey frequently work full schedules, and overtime on commercial projects is common. At the median rate of $28.77 an hour, a worker logging just five overtime hours per week at time-and-a-half would add roughly $10,850 to their annual earnings, pushing effective compensation close to $70,700 — well above what the base median figure suggests.

All wage data on this page comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. These are employer-reported figures covering wage and salary workers; they do not include self-employed floor layers, who may earn considerably more or less depending on their book of business and overhead costs.