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Floor Sanders and Finishers
Scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machine, and apply coats of finish.
Other titles employers use
Finisher · Floor Finisher · Floor Mechanic · Floor Refinisher · Floor Sander · Floor Sander and Finisher · Hardwood Floor Finisher and Sander · Hardwood Floor Refinisher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Buff and vacuum floors to ensure their cleanliness prior to the application of finish.
- Scrape and sand floor edges and areas inaccessible to floor sanders, using scrapers, disk-type sanders, and sandpaper.
- Inspect floors for smoothness.
- Attach sandpaper to rollers of sanding machines.
- Guide sanding machines over surfaces of floors until surfaces are smooth.
- Apply filler compound and coats of finish to floors to seal wood.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operation and Control
- Active Listening
- Coordination
Subjects to know
- Building and Construction
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
- Control Precision
- Multilimb Coordination
- Trunk Strength
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.0 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 4.1 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.9 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Most employers do not ask for a formal credential. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 81%
- A certificate or some college 19%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Project management software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Video creation and editing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 740
- Job openings each year
- 60
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 15.6%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 740 | 60 | 15.6% |
| North Carolina | 660 | 50 | 8.2% |
| Tennessee | 570 | 50 | 16.3% |
| Washington | 560 | 50 | 14.3% |
| New York | 490 | 0 | 4.3% |
| Maryland | 480 | 40 | 2.1% |
| Massachusetts | 380 | 30 | 5.6% |
| Missouri | 350 | 30 | — |
| Georgia | 220 | 20 | 10.0% |
| Illinois | 190 | 20 | −5.0% |
| Wisconsin | 190 | 20 | 11.8% |
| Virginia | 180 | 10 | — |
| Colorado | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Nebraska | 130 | 10 | 8.3% |
| Kentucky | 100 | 10 | — |
| Arizona | 60 | 0 | 20.0% |
| Texas | 60 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 50 | 0 | — |
| Ohio | 40 | 0 | — |
| West Virginia | 40 | 0 | — |
| Alabama | 20 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Degrees each year
- 76
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Rowan University
- Degrees each year
- 56
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Tuskegee University
- Degrees each year
- 12
- Admit rate
- 31%
- Annual cost after aid
- $35,000
Thomas Jefferson University
- Degrees each year
- 4
- Admit rate
- 86%
- Annual cost after aid
- $25,000
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
- Degrees each year
- 2
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Compare every college offering building/construction finishing, management, and inspection