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Plasterer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$57,660median pay per year, or $27.72 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $39,560lowest 10% earn less
  2. $47,97025th percentile
  3. $57,660median
  4. $71,31075th percentile
  5. $96,710top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Plasterers and stucco masons had a median pay of $57,660 a year in May 2025[1]. No formal education is typically needed, and training happens on the job over a long period[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.8%[5]
Openings per year
1,500[6]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[2]

How much do plasterers make?

The median wage for plasterers and stucco masons was $57,660 a year, or $27.72 an hour[1]. Half earned more and half earned less. The average was $62,050 a year, or $29.83 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,560 a year[3]. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $96,710[3]. The middle half earned between $47,970 and $71,310[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[8].

Hourly, the 10th percentile was $19.02 and the 90th percentile was $46.50[9].

These figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed and do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits[10]. About 16.8% of plasterers and stucco masons were self-employed in 2025[11]. BLS counted about 19,310 wage and salary jobs[12].

Pay by state and city

Among the 28 states with published data, New York had the highest median at $120,180[13]. Hawaii ($104,260), Minnesota ($102,530), Illinois ($93,790) and New Hampshire ($93,000) came next[13]. New Mexico had the lowest median of the 28, at $45,350[13].

California had the most jobs at 6,780, followed by Florida at 1,970, Arizona at 1,910, Texas at 1,400 and Nevada at 1,150[14]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, New York-Newark-Jersey City had the highest median at $120,180[15]. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington followed at $108,160[15]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim had the most jobs at 1,690[16].

Show median pay in 28 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
New York[13]$120,180n/a
Hawaii$104,260110
Minnesota$102,530160
Illinois$93,790270
New Hampshire$93,000n/a
Missouri$79,380420
Michigan$72,990210
Oregon$71,180170
Pennsylvania$70,030180
New Jersey$69,99050
Virginia$64,120100
Ohio$62,200180
California$59,9406,780
Maryland$56,890140
Indiana$53,93060
Utah$53,710820
Nevada$53,6101,150
Kansas$53,44080
Washington$51,840440
Texas$51,1401,400
Wisconsin$50,70040
Louisiana$49,95040
Arizona$49,5101,910
Oklahoma$49,450n/a
Colorado$47,570480
Florida$47,4201,970
Montana$46,54050
New Mexico$45,350460

How to become a plasterer

In an O*NET survey of 26 workers, 68% said less than a high school diploma was required and 28% said a high school diploma or equivalent[17]. The facts for this page do not give the length of training, license rules or apprenticeship details.

What plasterers do

O*NET describes the work as applying plaster, cement, stucco or similar materials to interior or exterior surfaces, and sometimes setting ornamental plaster[18]. Common tasks include:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 22,900 to 23,600 jobs, a gain of about 600[5]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[20]. These counts include self-employed workers[5].

BLS expects about 1,500 openings a year on average[6]. Openings include jobs that come open when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year about 2.9% of workers leave the labor force and 3.5% move to a different occupation[21].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay is above the all-occupations median, and entry does not typically require a formal degree[1][4][2]. Training is long and happens on the job[2]. Pay differs a lot by state, from $120,180 in New York to $45,350 in New Mexico among states with published data[13]. Projected growth of 2.8% is a little below the 3.5% for all occupations[5][20].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[22].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a plasterer make an hour?
The median was $27.72 an hour in May 2025[1].
How much does a plasterer make a year?
The median was $57,660 a year, and the average was $62,050[1][7].
Do you need a degree to be a plasterer?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement, with long-term on-the-job training[2].
What is the highest paying state for plasterers?
New York had the highest median at $120,180 among states with published data[13].
Is plastering in demand?
BLS projects 2.8% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 1,500 openings a year[5][20][6].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Plasterers and Stucco Masons in the US was $57,660 per year and $27.72 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Plasterers and Stucco Masons: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Plasterers and Stucco Masons: 10th percentile $39,560, 25th percentile $47,970, 75th percentile $71,310, 90th percentile $96,710. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Plasterers and Stucco Masons is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 22,900 to 23,600 jobs (a change of +600). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,500 openings for Plasterers and Stucco Masons are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Plasterers and Stucco Masons was $62,050 per year and $29.83 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Plasterers and Stucco Masons: 10th percentile $19.02, 25th percentile $23.06, 75th percentile $34.28, 90th percentile $46.50. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 16.8% of Plasterers and Stucco Masons were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 19,310 people were employed as Plasterers and Stucco Masons in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Plasterers and Stucco Masons in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Plasterers and Stucco Masons jobs: California 6,780; Florida 1,970; Arizona 1,910; Texas 1,400; Nevada 1,150. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Plasterers and Stucco Masons (areas with at least 100 jobs): New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $120,180; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $108,160; Urban Honolulu, HI $105,870; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $96,240; St. Louis, MO-IL $80,240; Kansas City, MO-KS $78,870; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $72,700; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $71,310. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Plasterers and Stucco Masons jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,690 (median $57,930); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 1,310 (median $49,700); Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,290 (median $53,580); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 840 (median $120,180); Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 780 (median $57,140); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 580 (median $71,310). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 47-2161.00 survey of workers (26 respondents), education level they say is required: Less than a High School Diploma 68%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 28% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Plasterers and Stucco Masons. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Plasterers and Stucco Masons. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Plasterers and Stucco Masons: 2.9% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.5% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.