How to become a tile and stone setter
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
What tile and stone setters do
- 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.
- Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
- Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
Is tile and stone setter a good career?
On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 9% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- Massachusetts $81,150
- Hawaii $79,270
- Washington $77,920
- Maine $70,720
- Minnesota $70,560
Tile and Stone Setters salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.