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Tapers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Tapers, trained hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,482 hours, for DRYWALL FINISHER (Existing Title: Taper) (hybrid).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| DRYWALL FINISHER (Existing Title: Taper) | 0561 | Hybrid: 2,482 to 4,442 hours Hybrid (V2): 2,600 to 4,000 hours Hybrid (V3): 3,900 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 6,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What tapers earn, by state
Illinois has the highest state median for tapers ($113,180) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($27,570), across the 28 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $113,180 | $54.41 | 320 |
| Hawaii | $95,490 | $45.91 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,240 | $39.54 | 60 |
| Washington | $79,040 | $38.00 | 1,550 |
| Minnesota | $78,090 | $37.54 | 220 |
| New York | $77,790 | $37.40 | Not published |
| Kansas | $74,120 | $35.63 | 30 |
| Ohio | $73,840 | $35.50 | 110 |
| California | $73,460 | $35.32 | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $71,450 | $34.35 | 500 |
| Iowa | $66,980 | $32.20 | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $65,060 | $31.28 | 510 |
| Michigan | $63,630 | $30.59 | 190 |
| Connecticut | $63,600 | $30.58 | 80 |
| Missouri | $63,020 | $30.30 | 220 |
| Nevada | $60,690 | $29.18 | 1,190 |
| Wisconsin | $57,840 | $27.81 | 70 |
| Idaho | $57,690 | $27.74 | 310 |
| Arizona | $56,300 | $27.07 | 780 |
| Colorado | $54,500 | $26.20 | Not published |
| Utah | $52,930 | $25.45 | 210 |
| Florida | $49,400 | $23.75 | Not published |
| New Mexico | $48,320 | $23.23 | 60 |
| North Carolina | $45,770 | $22.01 | Not published |
| Texas | $43,670 | $21.00 | 220 |
| Indiana | $42,810 | $20.58 | 120 |
| West Virginia | $41,600 | $20.00 | 30 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,570 | $13.26 | 90 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).