How to become a Tile and Stone Setter
Official title: Tile and Stone Setters
Also called: Ceramic Tile Mechanic, Ceramic Tile Setter, Tile and Marble Installer, Tile and Marble Setter, Tile Finisher, Tile Installer, Tile Man, Tile Mason, Tile Mechanic, Tile Setter
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Main tasks
- 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.
- Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.
- Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
- Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
- Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
How to become one
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their trade on the job, sometimes starting as a helper .
Typical education to start: No formal educational credential
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Ceramic Tile Installer (Existing Title: Tile Setter).
- Apprenticeship: Marble Setter.
- Apprenticeship: Mosaic Worker.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $55,690 a year The middle half earn $45,200 to $70,220.
- About 45,200 people work in this job now, and about 49,600 are projected by 2035. (+9.8%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a Tile and Stone Setter?
Flooring installers and tile and stone setters typically need no formal educational credential. They learn their trade on the job, sometimes starting as a helper .
How much does a Tile and Stone Setter earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $55,690 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,200 to $70,220.
Is a Tile and Stone Setter a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 45,200 to about 49,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Tile and Stone Setter?
Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Ceramic Tile Installer (Existing Title: Tile Setter).
Will AI change the work of a Tile and Stone Setter?
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 Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, 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.