Tile and Stone Setters
Also called: Acoustical Carpenter, Acoustical Installer, Acoustical Material Worker, Bathroom Fitter, Ceramic Tile Installer, Ceramic Tile Mechanic, Ceramic Tile Setter, Floor Tile Layer
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
What tile and stone setters do
Typical tasks
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
- Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
- Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
- Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
- Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.
- Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
- Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
- Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
- Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.
- Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.
- Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant.
- Level concrete and allow to dry.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Tile and Stone Setters salary
The median annual wage for tile and stone setters is $55,690 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $37,140 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $86,110. The mean annual wage is $59,250.
The mean hourly wage of $28.00 is 3.9× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Tile and Stone Setters (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $55,690 → in 3 years $61,700 → in 5 years $66,100 → in 10 years $78,600 (10-year range $67,600–$91,200). The model assumes pay growth of +3.5% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Tile and Stone Setters
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Tile and Stone Setters? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Tile and Stone Setters
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Tile and Stone Setters United States | タイル工 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $55,690 | ¥4.67M ≈ $29,690 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $78,600 | ¥6.55M |
| Outlook score | 69 | 66 |
| AI replacement risk | 11% Very low | 13% Very low |
| Workers | 36K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Tile and Stone Setters
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become tile and stone setters
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as tile and stone setters
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.