What is the salary and career path for a plasterer?
Plasterers are counted under Plasterers and Stucco Masons, SOC 47-2161 — a close match — with an OEWS May 2025 median of $57,660 a year ($27.72 an hour) and an unusually wide spread from $39,560 at the 10th percentile to $96,710 at the 90th, reflecting how much regional stucco markets and union membership vary. It is a small occupation with only about 1,900 openings a year and modest projected growth of 4.1% over 2024–2034. The route in is a three- to four-year registered apprenticeship, typically through the Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association or a contractor association, or helper-to-mechanic progression on the job. No state licenses individual plasterers, though states such as California license plastering as a specialty contractor classification at the business level. The technical rules come from ASTM C926 for portland cement plaster application, ASTM C1063 for lathing, the International Building and Residential Codes for weather-resistive barriers and drainage, and manufacturer requirements for EIFS assemblies.
- Plasterers earn a national median $57,660/yr ($27.72/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2161); the top 10% clear $96,710.
- No state licenses individual plasterers; ASTM C926 and C1063 plus IBC/IRC weather-barrier rules govern the work, with contractor licensing at the business level.
- BLS projects 4.1% change 2024–34 but only about 1,900 openings a year — a small trade with a scarce skilled workforce.
- The route is a three- to four-year registered apprenticeship, with EIFS certification, restoration work and contracting driving the wide top end.
Career Path
How do you become a plasterer?
Plasterer apprentice / hod carrier
Mixing, stocking scaffold, applying lath and running the pump while learning trowel control; pay starts near the SOC 47-2161 10th percentile of $39,560.
Plasterer
Applying scratch, brown and finish coats to plane and running interior veneer plaster, around the $57,660 median for the code.
Finish mechanic / EIFS applicator
Specialty finishes, ornamental restoration and manufacturer-certified EIFS work pay toward the 75th percentile of $71,310.
Plastering foreman or contractor
Running crews, estimating wall assemblies and holding a contractor licence reaches the 90th percentile at $96,710.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays plasterers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2161. National median: $57,660. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does plasterer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles plasterers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: plasterers rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +4.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly plasterers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2161 (plasterers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do plasterers need?
A three- to four-year DOL-registered programme through an OPCMIA local or contractor association; produces journeyworker standing in a trade with no individual licence. See all state licences →
States including California license plastering as a contractor classification held by the business, requiring documented experience, an exam and a bond.
Proprietary systems require manufacturer-trained applicators for the warranty to hold, which is what gates access to commercial EIFS work.
Mixing and cutting cementitious materials triggers OSHA 1926.1153 silica controls, and most plastering happens from scaffold governed by 1926 Subpart L.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do plasterers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-2161
Salary Levers
How do plasterers earn above the $57,660 BLS median?
Commercial and union work over residential stucco
OPCMIA scale and commercial contracts sit far above the $39,560 tenth-percentile residential floor
EIFS and specialty finish certification
Manufacturer-certified applicators take the warranted commercial work that pays toward the $71,310 seventy-fifth percentile
Restoration and ornamental plaster
Historic run-in-place mouldings and veneer plaster are scarce skills that command premium rates
Contracting and estimating
Holding a specialty contractor licence and pricing wall assemblies is what reaches the $96,710 top decile — the widest top-end spread in the finishing trades
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a plasterer worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2161. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Plasterer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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