Tile and Stone Setters

What Tile and Stone Setters do

You turn bare floors and walls into finished tile and stone surfaces that people will walk on and look at for decades.

Tile and stone setters cover floors, walls, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks (the flat top surface of a roof) with hard tile, marble, and similar materials. You read building plans, measure the space, and work out the layout so the pattern lands evenly and the cuts fall where they look right. Then you spread mortar (the cement-like paste that holds tile to a surface), set each piece, tap it level, and fill the gaps with grout (the paste that fills the joints between tiles).

It is physical, precise work with a visible result at the end of the day. You may work alone or alongside other workers on site, and you are regularly face to face with builders, supervisors, and customers, talking through layouts, timelines, and changes. Math matters more than people expect, since every cut starts with a measurement.

A day in the life

You arrive at a job site, check the surface, and go over the plan with the builder or the homeowner. You measure, then snap a chalk line (a string coated in chalk dust that leaves a straight guide mark) for where the first tile goes, because that choice shapes the whole room. You mix mortar and spread it with a trowel, a flat hand tool, setting tiles one by one and checking them with a level, a tool that shows whether a surface is even. Around pipes and odd corners you take a piece to the cutter and shape it to fit. Most of the day you are on your knees or feet, in safety gear, hands in wet material. Later you fill the joints with grout and wipe the tiles with a damp sponge.

How people get in

1. 1Finish high school if you can, and take any math, shop, or technical drawing classes offered. No formal educational credential is required to enter this work.
2. 2Get hands-on practice anywhere you can, such as helping on small tiling or renovation jobs, so you get used to tools and measuring.
3. 3Look for a helper or entry-level position with a company that installs tile, stone, or brick. Most people learn through long-term on-the-job training under experienced setters.
4. 4Consider a training program such as Mason or Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker if one is available near you.
5. 5Build your speed and accuracy on real jobs, and learn to read building plans and plan layouts yourself.
6. 6Once you are skilled, take on harder work like mosaic patterns, stone, and custom designs, or move toward running your own jobs.

Who tends to enjoy it

Official task list

Tile and Stone Setters apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks. (O*NET)

• 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.

A typical day involves

How much Tile and Stone Setters make

The median pay for Tile and Stone Setters in the U.S. is $55,690 a year ($26.77 an hour). Most earn between $37,140 and $86,110. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)

Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Massachusetts ($81,150) and lowest in Arkansas ($38,980).

Where to study for this

College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.

• Mason 56 colleges
• Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker 3 colleges

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