Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 47-2044

Tile and Stone Setters

O*NET task statements lead this Tile and Stone Setters card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Boilermakers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Tile and Stone Setters: Boilermakers ($76K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($64K) , Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining ($75K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Tile and Stone Setters publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2044 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges
  2. 2. Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge
  3. 3. Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools
  4. 4. Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern
  5. 5. Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowe…
  6. 6. Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed
  7. 7. Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints
  8. 8. Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs
  9. 9. Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base
  10. 10. Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints
  11. 11. Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant
  12. 12. Level concrete and allow to dry

Tile and Stone Setters: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2044 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.1
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.0
  5. 5. Coordination 3.0
  6. 6. Complex Problem Solving 3.0
  7. 7. Time Management 3.0
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.0
  2. 2. Mathematics 3.4
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 3.0
  4. 4. Design 3.0
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.6
  6. 6. Mechanical 2.6
National median after O*NET task lead
$55,690
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges
$56K
National median
↑ +10%
Growth 2024-2034
4,200
Annual openings
35,850
Estimated US jobs
Boilermakers
Highest-pay peer · $76K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Tile and Stone Setters

1. Washington $77,920
2. Maine $70,720
3. Connecticut $63,150
4. Minnesota $70,560
5. Massachusetts $81,150
6. Hawaii $79,270
7. Illinois $67,160
8. Wisconsin $62,680
9. Pennsylvania $70,230
10. New Jersey $62,370

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120
  2. 2. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $63,800
  3. 3. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  4. 4. Underground Mining Machine Operators, All Other $70,130
  5. 5. Boilermakers $76,410
  6. 6. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Tile and Stone Setters (SOC 47-2044). The national OEWS median is $55,690 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Boilermakers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining. Lead published task: Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.

Employment Projections expect +10% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Washington at $77,920. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Boilermakers at $76,410. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Tile and Stone Setters pay-rank #35 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Tile and Stone Setters sits at pay-rank #35 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2044 · national median $55,690 · middle third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#35/60). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Tile and Stone Setters salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2044

Washington · top state for Tile and Stone Setters

$78K published median

Maine · #2 state pay

$71K · behind Washington

Boilermakers

Highest-pay peer vs Tile and Stone Setters · $76K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Tile and Stone Setters · $62K

Compare Tile and Stone Setters

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Tile and Stone Setters with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Tile and Stone Setters full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tile and Stone Setters mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #35 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Roofers ($55K), Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles ($56K), Extraction Workers, All Other ($57K), Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers ($57K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do tile and stone setters do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Tile and Stone Setters. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for tile and stone setters? ▼
For SOC 47-2044, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.1), Speaking (3.0), Mathematics (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Tile and Stone Setters? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $55,690 as the national median for Tile and Stone Setters. The published 10th-90th range is $37,140 to $86,110. Beside Boilermakers ($76,410), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Tile and Stone Setters? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Tile and Stone Setters is +10%. Projected annual openings: about 4,200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Tile and Stone Setters? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Tile and Stone Setters. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Tile and Stone Setters? ▼
Washington ($77,920), Maine ($70,720), Connecticut ($63,150) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Tile and Stone Setters card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2044. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Tile and Stone Setters. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics