What is the salary and career path for a tile setter?
Tile setters are counted under Tile and Stone Setters, SOC 47-2044 — a close match that also includes stone setters — with an OEWS May 2025 median of $55,690 a year ($26.77 an hour) and a range from $37,140 at the 10th percentile to $86,110 at the 90th. It is one of the fastest-growing construction trades in the BLS projections, at 10.1% over 2024–2034, though the occupation is small at roughly 4,200 openings a year. Entry is through a helper position or a three- to four-year apprenticeship, most often sponsored by the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers or an open-shop contractor programme. No state licenses tile setters as individuals, though several states require a contractor licence at the business level; the technical governing documents are the ANSI A108/A118/A136 installation and material standards and the Tile Council of North America handbook, whose method numbers appear directly in architectural specifications.
- Tile Setters earn a national median $55,690/yr ($26.77/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2044); the top 10% clear $86,110.
- BLS projects 10.1% growth 2024–34 — the strongest of the construction finishing trades — but only about 4,200 openings a year in a small occupation.
- No state licenses individual tile setters; the ANSI A108/A118 standards and TCNA Handbook methods define compliant work, and contractor licensing sits at the business level.
- Pay climbs with large-format and stone capability, waterproofing skill, CTI certification and ultimately contracting.
Career Path
How do you become a tile setter?
Tile helper
Mixing mortar, cutting, hauling material, prepping substrates and floating mud beds under a mechanic; pay starts near the SOC 47-2044 10th percentile of $37,140.
Tile Setter
Setting floors, walls and wet areas to layout with waterproofing and movement joints, around the $55,690 national median for the code.
Lead setter / large-format specialist
Thin-panel, stone and complex pattern work with mud-set showers pays toward the 75th percentile of $70,220.
Tile contractor or foreman
Estimating, running crews and owning a tile subcontract reaches the 90th percentile at $86,110.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays tile setters the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2044. National median: $55,690. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does tile setter pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles tile setters most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: tile setters rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +10.1% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly tile setters 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 47-2044 (tile setters) 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 tile setters need?
A DOL-registered three- to four-year apprenticeship through a BAC local or contractor association produces a journeyworker credential; no individual state licence exists. See all state licences →
The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation's hands-on CTI test is the recognised skills credential in the trade and is increasingly specified on quality-sensitive jobs.
States such as California license tile and stone work as a specialty contractor classification held by the business, with exams, experience proof and bonding.
Dry cutting and grinding tile and stone generates respirable crystalline silica; OSHA 1926.1153 requires water-fed saws or dust control plus an exposure control plan.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do tile setters use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-2044
Salary Levers
How do tile setters earn above the $55,690 BLS median?
Large-format panel and natural stone work
Thin-panel and stone installations command premium rates far above the $37,140 tenth-percentile helper floor
Waterproofing and custom shower capability
Mud-set pans, curbless showers and flood-tested assemblies are the residential work clients pay most for
Certified Tile Installer credential and union scale
CTI certification and BAC agreements push earnings toward the $70,220 seventy-fifth percentile
Contracting and estimating
Holding a state contractor licence and running crews is what reaches the $86,110 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a tile setter 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 47-2044. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Tile Setter Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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