How much does a floor sander make?
a year · about $24 an hour
A typical floor sander in the United States makes $50,440 a year, about $24 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They guide a sanding machine over a wooden floor, then scrape and sand the edges the machine cannot reach. They check for smoothness, vacuum the dust, and apply filler or a protective finish.
Did you know? Sanding dust can heat up and smolder inside a dust bag, sometimes without a flame. Dust from refinishing old floors is especially risky.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $37,070 and $70,340How do you become one?
In the U.S., no diploma is usually needed: start as a helper and learn on the job, or join a flooring apprenticeship. There is no set career-starting age; federal law's general minimum work age is 14, but young teens face strict job and hour limits.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experienced floor sanders with strong skills may earn more. Pay also varies by location, employer or industry, and hours worked.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Utah ($74,240), lowest in North Carolina ($39,170).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $37,070 | $50,440 | $70,340 | about 4,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $74,240 | about 30 |
| Minnesota | $62,940 | — |
| Oregon | $62,020 | — |
| New York | $60,470 | about 240 |
| Massachusetts | $58,230 | — |
Official definition: Scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machine, and apply coats of finish.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/tile-and-marble-setters.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/details/47-2043.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes472043.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.dol.gov/general/topic/youthlabor/agerequirements
- www.oldewoodltd.com/uploads/nwfa-sand-finish-wood-floors-2016.pdf
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY