How to become a Plasterer and Stucco Masons

Official title: Plasterers and Stucco Masons

Also called: Applicator, Ornamental Plasterer, Plaster Applicator, Plaster Mechanic, Plasterer, Plasterer Journeyman, Plasterer Mechanic, Plastering Contractor, Stucco Worker, Swimming Pool Plasterer

Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.

Main tasks

• Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
• Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
• Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
• Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones.
• Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
• Clean job sites.

How to become one

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Plasterer.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $57,660 a year The middle half earn $47,970 to $71,310.
• About 22,900 people work in this job now, and about 23,600 are projected by 2035. (+2.8%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Carpenters
• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Tapers
• Boilermakers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Plasterer and Stucco Masons?

Ways in include: Plasterer.

How much does a Plasterer and Stucco Masons earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $57,660 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,970 to $71,310.

Is a Plasterer and Stucco Masons a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 22,900 to about 23,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Plasterer and Stucco Masons?

Usually not. Only 3% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Plasterer.

Will AI change the work of a Plasterer and Stucco Masons?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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.