Floor Sanders and Finishers Salary
Floor Sanders and Finishers in Raleigh-Cary, NC make a median of $39,920 a year, or about $19.19 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $40,668 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 63.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $40K actually covers in Raleigh-Cary, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About floor sanders and finishers
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What this looks like in Raleigh-Cary
Pay for floor sanders and finishers in Raleigh-Cary runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,750/month, which is 65% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for floor sanders and finishers.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level floor sanders and finishers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Floor Sanders and Finishers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Floor Sanders and Finishers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | $74K | +47% | 30 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +25% | N/A |
| Oregon | $62K | +23% | N/A |
| New York | $60K | +20% | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +15% | N/A |
| Washington | $56K | +10% | 90 |
| Colorado | $55K | +9% | 130 |
| Kentucky | $55K | +8% | N/A |
| Florida | $52K | +3% | 270 |
| Michigan | $51K | +2% | N/A |
| Maryland | $51K | +1% | N/A |
| Missouri | $49K | -4% | N/A |
| Ohio | $48K | -5% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $47K | -6% | N/A |
| Virginia | $47K | -7% | 110 |
| Iowa | $47K | -7% | 30 |
| Indiana | $47K | -8% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -10% | 30 |
| South Carolina | $44K | -12% | 60 |
| Nebraska | $44K | -13% | N/A |
| Georgia | $41K | -20% | N/A |
| Texas | $40K | -20% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -22% | 190 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track floor sanders and finishers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a floor sanders and finisher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 65% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for floor sanders and finishers in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new floor sanders and finishers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,497/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is floor sanders and finisher a high-paying job in Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $40K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for floor sanders and finishers?
Raleigh-Cary pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do floor sanders and finishers make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $39,920 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,820, and experienced floor sanders and finishers can clear $47,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,693/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 65% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a floor sanders and finishers salary go in Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median floor sanders and finishers salary is worth about $40,668 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do floor sanders and finishers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.