Tile and Stone Setters
Tile and Stone Setters (SOC 47-2044) earn a median $55,690 a year ($26.77 an hour) in the United States, with 35,850 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Massachusetts.
What tile and stone setters do
Tile and stone setters set hard tile, stone and similar materials on walls, floors, ceilings, countertops and roof decks. They study the blueprints and examine the surface to work out how much material is needed, determine a layout that gives the desired pattern, and measure and mark the surface. The setter mixes and spreads plaster, mortar, cement, mastic or glue to form a bed, using a brush, trowel and screed, then sets the pieces and aligns and straightens them with levels, squares and straightedges. Tile is cut and shaped with hand and power cutting tools to fit obstacles, odd spaces and corners. Once set, joints are finished and excess grout is wiped off with a damp sponge. Some setters lay mosaic tile in decorative wall, mural and floor designs. The trade differs from the brickmasons and stonemasons who build structures, and from terrazzo workers, who pour and grind a cement-based surface rather than setting individual pieces.
Typical entry: Most workers in this occupation report a high school diploma or equivalent as their level of education, according to O*NET.
Also called: Acoustical Carpenter, Acoustical Installer, Acoustical Material Worker, Bathroom Fitter, Ceramic Tile Installer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.86 | $21.73 | $26.77 | $33.76 | $41.40 | $28.49 | 35,850 |
| Annual | $37,140 | $45,200 | $55,690 | $70,220 | $86,110 | $59,250 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where tile and stone setters earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $25.02 | $28.46 | $39.02 | $46.13 | $50.08 | $38.61 | 410 | 0.11 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $52,040 | $59,190 | $81,150 | $95,940 | $104,170 | $80,300 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $21.15 | $29.50 | $38.11 | $49.03 | $54.95 | $42.02 | 440 | 0.70 | 3.05 |
| Annual | $43,980 | $61,360 | $79,270 | $101,980 | $114,300 | $87,390 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $27.19 | $30.33 | $37.46 | $46.80 | $49.39 | $38.01 | 660 | 0.19 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $56,560 | $63,090 | $77,920 | $97,350 | $102,720 | $79,060 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $28.50 | $31.33 | $34.00 | $44.08 | $63.41 | $40.29 | 60 | 0.09 | 0.41 |
| Annual | $59,280 | $65,160 | $70,720 | $91,690 | $131,890 | $83,810 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $25.03 | $29.69 | $33.92 | $34.50 | $39.41 | $32.48 | 610 | 0.21 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $52,070 | $61,750 | $70,560 | $71,750 | $81,980 | $67,550 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.23 | $22.86 | $28.31 | $35.61 | $48.00 | $30.67 | 8,250 | 0.45 | 1.96 |
| Annual | $39,990 | $47,550 | $58,880 | $74,070 | $99,830 | $63,800 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.49 | $18.27 | $22.73 | $29.14 | $34.80 | $24.27 | 4,070 | 0.41 | 1.78 |
| Annual | $28,050 | $38,010 | $47,280 | $60,610 | $72,380 | $50,470 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.00 | $24.10 | $29.45 | $35.91 | $46.49 | $31.74 | 2,990 | 0.31 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $39,520 | $50,130 | $61,260 | $74,690 | $96,700 | $66,010 | ||||
| Utah | Hourly | $17.23 | $21.08 | $23.72 | $28.45 | $33.48 | $24.90 | 1,590 | 0.91 | 3.96 |
| Annual | $35,830 | $43,850 | $49,340 | $59,170 | $69,640 | $51,800 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $21.17 | $24.02 | $29.42 | $41.07 | $56.58 | $33.62 | 1,450 | 0.94 | 4.07 |
| Annual | $44,030 | $49,970 | $61,200 | $85,430 | $117,690 | $69,920 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | $28.77 | $34.48 | $42.66 | $45.94 | $49.53 | $40.71 | 30 | 0.37 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $59,840 | $71,720 | $88,730 | $95,560 | $103,020 | $84,670 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $20.96 | $34.17 | $41.76 | $51.75 | $81.75 | $45.64 | 290 | 0.65 | 2.82 |
| Annual | $43,590 | $71,070 | $86,850 | $107,640 | $170,040 | $94,920 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $25.93 | $37.62 | $39.54 | $46.13 | $51.49 | $40.25 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $53,930 | $78,260 | $82,230 | $95,940 | $107,110 | $83,720 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $27.84 | $33.37 | $38.00 | $48.26 | $50.20 | $39.65 | 450 | 0.21 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $57,920 | $69,420 | $79,040 | $100,380 | $104,410 | $82,470 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.05 | $23.90 | $35.90 | $48.52 | $54.84 | $36.65 | 550 | 0.12 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $47,950 | $49,710 | $74,670 | $100,920 | $114,070 | $76,230 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $19.10 | $24.23 | $29.52 | $36.29 | $48.74 | $32.83 | 2,600 | 0.27 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $39,730 | $50,390 | $61,410 | $75,490 | $101,370 | $68,290 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.48 | $23.27 | $28.18 | $35.52 | $51.82 | $30.72 | 2,170 | 0.35 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $40,520 | $48,390 | $58,600 | $73,890 | $107,790 | $63,890 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $22.13 | $24.06 | $30.98 | $38.43 | $56.00 | $34.67 | 1,020 | 0.43 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $46,030 | $50,040 | $64,430 | $79,940 | $116,490 | $72,110 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $21.17 | $24.55 | $30.55 | $47.23 | $58.61 | $35.01 | 990 | 0.88 | 3.79 |
| Annual | $44,030 | $51,060 | $63,540 | $98,240 | $121,900 | $72,820 | ||||
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | Hourly | $17.72 | $22.11 | $24.04 | $28.54 | $34.00 | $25.68 | 970 | 1.18 | 5.11 |
| Annual | $36,850 | $45,990 | $49,990 | $59,370 | $70,720 | $53,410 | ||||
Top industries employing tile and stone setters
Building Finishing Contractors employ 67.5% of tile and stone setters nationally (24,190 jobs) at a median $57,050 a year ($27.43 an hour), followed by Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (12.5%) and Residential Building Construction (5.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 24,190 | 67.5% | $57,050 | $27.43 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing NAICS 327000 | 4,470 | 12.5% | $47,190 | $22.69 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 1,810 | 5.0% | $63,050 | $30.31 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100 | 1,600 | 4.5% | $55,660 | $26.76 |
| Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers NAICS 449100 | 860 | 2.4% | $56,180 | $27.01 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (35,850). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,810 for tile and stone setters in May 2021 and $55,690 in May 2025, with employment of 41,160 and 35,850.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,810 | $22.99 | 41,160 |
| May 2022 | $48,340 | $23.24 | 40,760 |
| May 2023 | $48,910 | $23.52 | 42,420 |
| May 2024 | $52,240 | $25.11 | 38,740 |
| May 2025 | $55,690 | $26.77 | 35,850 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts profile | $39.02 | $81,150 | $52,040 | $104,170 | 410 | 0.11 | 0.49 |
| 2 | Hawaii profile | $38.11 | $79,270 | $43,980 | $114,300 | 440 | 0.70 | 3.05 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $37.46 | $77,920 | $56,560 | $102,720 | 660 | 0.19 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Maine profile | $34.00 | $70,720 | $59,280 | $131,890 | 60 | 0.09 | 0.41 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $33.92 | $70,560 | $52,070 | $81,980 | 610 | 0.21 | 0.89 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania profile | $33.77 | $70,230 | $44,300 | $96,980 | 880 | 0.15 | 0.63 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | $32.29 | $67,160 | $46,680 | $112,780 | 730 | 0.12 | 0.52 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $30.36 | $63,150 | $47,660 | $104,070 | 230 | 0.14 | 0.60 |
| 9 | Wisconsin profile | $30.14 | $62,680 | $48,540 | $85,620 | 410 | 0.14 | 0.61 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $29.99 | $62,370 | $38,420 | $113,930 | 460 | 0.11 | 0.47 |
| 11 | New York profile | $29.45 | $61,260 | $39,520 | $96,700 | 2,990 | 0.31 | 1.34 |
| 12 | Nevada profile | $29.42 | $61,200 | $44,030 | $117,690 | 1,450 | 0.94 | 4.07 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $29.13 | $60,590 | $39,250 | $79,470 | 470 | 0.16 | 0.69 |
| 14 | Nebraska profile | $28.53 | $59,350 | $31,600 | $85,530 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | California profile | $28.31 | $58,880 | $39,990 | $99,830 | 8,250 | 0.45 | 1.96 |
| 16 | Oregon profile | $28.27 | $58,790 | $35,760 | $81,950 | 790 | 0.40 | 1.73 |
| 17 | Montana profile | $28.21 | $58,670 | $44,500 | $70,640 | 240 | 0.48 | 2.07 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $27.74 | $57,690 | $35,040 | $83,200 | 870 | 0.30 | 1.32 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | $26.87 | $55,890 | $46,810 | $65,000 | 140 | 0.47 | 2.02 |
| 20 | Kansas profile | $26.40 | $54,920 | $39,470 | $74,990 | 310 | 0.22 | 0.94 |
| 21 | Iowa profile | $26.13 | $54,350 | $43,700 | $77,460 | 240 | 0.16 | 0.68 |
| 22 | Arizona profile | $25.00 | $52,000 | $37,290 | $70,180 | 1,060 | 0.33 | 1.41 |
| 23 | West Virginia profile | $24.47 | $50,900 | $37,830 | $68,880 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.30 |
| 24 | South Dakota profile | $24.34 | $50,640 | $38,660 | $67,830 | 30 | 0.08 | 0.33 |
| 25 | New Hampshire profile | $23.99 | $49,900 | $45,170 | $84,830 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.26 |
| 26 | Utah profile | $23.72 | $49,340 | $35,830 | $69,640 | 1,590 | 0.91 | 3.96 |
| 27 | Rhode Island profile | $23.64 | $49,170 | $39,520 | $74,880 | ** | ** | ** |
| 28 | Virginia profile | $23.50 | $48,880 | $28,990 | $72,870 | 750 | 0.18 | 0.79 |
| 29 | Indiana profile | $23.29 | $48,450 | $37,700 | $77,170 | 540 | 0.17 | 0.73 |
| 30 | Michigan profile | $23.05 | $47,950 | $31,660 | $68,210 | 1,010 | 0.23 | 1.00 |
| 31 | Idaho profile | $23.05 | $47,940 | $36,510 | $59,220 | 570 | 0.67 | 2.89 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $23.00 | $47,840 | $39,680 | $66,410 | 360 | 0.07 | 0.32 |
| 33 | Kentucky profile | $22.78 | $47,380 | $34,620 | $56,290 | 180 | 0.09 | 0.40 |
| 34 | Florida profile | $22.73 | $47,280 | $28,050 | $72,380 | 4,070 | 0.41 | 1.78 |
| 35 | Texas profile | $22.61 | $47,030 | $35,100 | $80,880 | 1,260 | 0.09 | 0.39 |
| 36 | Ohio profile | $22.18 | $46,140 | $36,520 | $72,050 | 670 | 0.12 | 0.52 |
| 37 | Maryland profile | $21.96 | $45,670 | $33,280 | $75,200 | 240 | 0.09 | 0.37 |
| 38 | Alabama profile | $21.54 | $44,800 | $33,610 | $51,750 | 260 | 0.13 | 0.54 |
| 39 | Louisiana profile | $21.52 | $44,750 | $28,770 | $56,650 | 190 | 0.10 | 0.43 |
| 40 | North Carolina profile | $21.47 | $44,650 | $35,090 | $58,090 | 680 | 0.14 | 0.60 |
| 41 | New Mexico profile | $21.42 | $44,550 | $33,480 | $59,740 | 280 | 0.32 | 1.38 |
| 42 | Oklahoma profile | $21.32 | $44,340 | $33,280 | $105,570 | 280 | 0.16 | 0.70 |
| 43 | Tennessee profile | $20.95 | $43,570 | $31,160 | $59,140 | 350 | 0.11 | 0.47 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $20.92 | $43,510 | $28,230 | $106,270 | ** | ** | ** |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $20.49 | $42,620 | $36,910 | $77,630 | 70 | 0.16 | 0.70 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | $18.81 | $39,130 | $32,080 | $60,330 | 60 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | $18.74 | $38,980 | $31,360 | $50,110 | 160 | 0.12 | 0.54 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-2040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2044 Tile and Stone Setters.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2044, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2044.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.