Plasterer salary: what plasterers actually make
Plasterers earned a median $27.72 an hour ($57,660 a year) in May 2025, across 19,310 jobs in the BLS employer survey. Pay by state and metro, the 20-year trend, and the union scale contractors must pay on federal work.
How much do plasterers make?
The median plasterer earned $27.72 an hour, or $57,660 a year, in May 2025 according to the BLS employer survey of 19,310 jobs. Half earn more and half earn less; the middle 50% earn between $23.06 and $34.28 an hour.
The middle half of plasterers earn between $23.06 and $34.28 an hour. The top 10% earn more than $46.50 ($96,710 a year); the bottom 10% earn less than $19.02. The top 10% earn 2.4× what the bottom 10% earn.
Apprentice, journeyman and master plasterer pay
Pay tracks licence and experience: an apprentice or entry-level plasterer earns near the bottom of the range, a journeyman around the median, and a master plasterer, foreman or specialist in the top quarter. The union pay scale (journeyman base plus fringe) for every county is in the prevailing-wage section.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $19.02 – $23.06 | $39,560 – $47,970 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.06 – $34.28 | $47,970 – $71,310 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $34.28 – $46.50 | $71,310 – $96,710 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Career-stage bands are an approximate reading of the wage distribution, not a BLS classification or licence requirement.
Plasterer pay by state
Table
| State | Median $/hr | vs US |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $57.78 | 108% above |
| Hawaii | $50.13 | 81% above |
| Minnesota | $49.29 | 78% above |
| Illinois | $45.09 | 63% above |
| New Hampshire | $44.71 | 61% above |
| Missouri | $38.16 | 38% above |
| Michigan | $35.09 | 27% above |
| Oregon | $34.22 | 23% above |
| Pennsylvania | $33.67 | 21% above |
| New Jersey | $33.65 | 21% above |
| Virginia | $30.83 | 11% above |
| Ohio | $29.90 | 8% above |
| California | $28.82 | 4% above |
| Maryland | $27.35 | 1% below |
| Indiana | $25.93 | 6% below |
| Utah | $25.82 | 7% below |
| Nevada | $25.78 | 7% below |
| Kansas | $25.69 | 7% below |
| Washington | $24.92 | 10% below |
| Texas | $24.59 | 11% below |
| Wisconsin | $24.37 | 12% below |
| Louisiana | $24.01 | 13% below |
| Arizona | $23.80 | 14% below |
| Oklahoma | $23.78 | 14% below |
| Colorado | $22.87 | 17% below |
| Florida | $22.80 | 18% below |
| Montana | $22.38 | 19% below |
| New Mexico | $21.80 | 21% below |
| State | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | Adjusted rank | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $57.78 | $53.55 | #1 | — |
| Hawaii | $50.13 | $45.57 | #3 | 110 |
| Minnesota | $49.29 | $49.99 | #2 | 160 |
| Illinois | $45.09 | $45.09 | #4 | 270 |
| New Hampshire | $44.71 | $42.91 | #5 | — |
| Missouri | $38.16 | $42.03 | #6 | 420 |
| Michigan | $35.09 | $36.48 | #7 | 210 |
| Oregon | $34.22 | $33.09 | #9 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $33.67 | $34.50 | #8 | 180 |
| New Jersey | $33.65 | $30.93 | #11 | 50 |
| Virginia | $30.83 | $30.49 | #12 | 100 |
| Ohio | $29.90 | $32.22 | #10 | 180 |
| California | $28.82 | $26.03 | #19 | 6,780 |
| Maryland | $27.35 | $26.05 | #18 | 140 |
| Indiana | $25.93 | $27.79 | #14 | 60 |
| Utah | $25.82 | $26.11 | #17 | 820 |
| Nevada | $25.78 | $25.78 | #21 | 1,150 |
| Kansas | $25.69 | $28.51 | #13 | 80 |
| Washington | $24.92 | $23.29 | #26 | 440 |
| Texas | $24.59 | $25.32 | #22 | 1,400 |
| Wisconsin | $24.37 | $25.90 | #20 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $24.01 | $27.22 | #15 | 40 |
| Arizona | $23.80 | $23.63 | #25 | 1,910 |
| Oklahoma | $23.78 | $27.08 | #16 | — |
| Colorado | $22.87 | $22.18 | #27 | 480 |
| Florida | $22.80 | $22.05 | #28 | 1,970 |
| Montana | $22.38 | $23.66 | #23 | 50 |
| New Mexico | $21.80 | $23.64 | #24 | 460 |
Plasterer wages over time
Table
| Year | Nominal $/hr | In 2025 $ | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.48 | $27.98 | 50,060 |
| 2000 | $16.00 | $29.91 | 45,150 |
| 2001 | $15.79 | $28.70 | 53,790 |
| 2002 | $15.91 | $28.47 | 54,290 |
| 2003 | $15.90 | $27.82 | 53,530 |
| 2004 | $15.60 | $26.59 | 54,920 |
| 2005 | $16.08 | $26.51 | 47,760 |
| 2006 | $16.68 | $26.64 | 50,700 |
| 2007 | $17.52 | $27.20 | 49,310 |
| 2008 | $18.01 | $26.93 | 43,290 |
| 2009 | $18.16 | $27.25 | 34,280 |
| 2010 | $17.89 | $26.41 | 26,430 |
| 2011 | $17.71 | $25.35 | 22,810 |
| 2012 | $17.85 | $25.03 | 21,040 |
| 2013 | $17.64 | $24.38 | 20,600 |
| 2014 | $18.05 | $24.55 | 20,760 |
| 2015 | $17.94 | $24.37 | 22,420 |
| 2016 | $18.70 | $25.08 | 22,810 |
| 2017 | $19.59 | $25.73 | 24,180 |
| 2018 | $20.93 | $26.83 | 24,870 |
| 2019 | $21.85 | $27.52 | 27,360 |
| 2020 | $22.61 | $28.13 | 25,210 |
| 2021 | $23.24 | $27.61 | 26,980 |
| 2022 | $23.91 | $26.30 | 25,950 |
| 2023 | $25.31 | $26.74 | 22,310 |
| 2024 | $26.93 | $27.64 | 20,880 |
| 2025 | $27.72 | $27.72 | 19,310 |
Adjusted for inflation, the median plasterer wage changed by +13.8% over the last ten years and by +0.7% since 2019.
Are there more plasterer jobs than there used to be?
The BLS employer survey counted 19,310 plasterers in May 2025, -13.9% compared with 22,420 ten years earlier and -29.4% since 2019.
Table
| Year | Jobs |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 50,060 |
| 2000 | 45,150 |
| 2001 | 53,790 |
| 2002 | 54,290 |
| 2003 | 53,530 |
| 2004 | 54,920 |
| 2005 | 47,760 |
| 2006 | 50,700 |
| 2007 | 49,310 |
| 2008 | 43,290 |
| 2009 | 34,280 |
| 2010 | 26,430 |
| 2011 | 22,810 |
| 2012 | 21,040 |
| 2013 | 20,600 |
| 2014 | 20,760 |
| 2015 | 22,420 |
| 2016 | 22,810 |
| 2017 | 24,180 |
| 2018 | 24,870 |
| 2019 | 27,360 |
| 2020 | 25,210 |
| 2021 | 26,980 |
| 2022 | 25,950 |
| 2023 | 22,310 |
| 2024 | 20,880 |
| 2025 | 19,310 |
Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.
Where the plasterer jobs are
Nevada has the highest concentration of plasterers, 6.0× the national share, followed by Arizona (4.8×) and New Mexico (4.3×). The lowest is New Jersey at 0.1×. Concentration says where the trade is a large part of the local economy; the job count says where the most positions are.
| State | Jobs | Jobs per 1,000 | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 1,150 | 0.7 | 6.0× |
| Arizona | 1,910 | 0.6 | 4.8× |
| New Mexico | 460 | 0.5 | 4.3× |
| Utah | 820 | 0.5 | 3.8× |
| California | 6,780 | 0.4 | 3.0× |
| Florida | 1,970 | 0.2 | 1.6× |
| Hawaii | 110 | 0.2 | 1.4× |
| Colorado | 480 | 0.2 | 1.4× |
| Missouri | 420 | 0.1 | 1.1× |
| Washington | 440 | 0.1 | 1.0× |
| Montana | 50 | 0.1 | 0.8× |
| Texas | 1,400 | 0.1 | 0.8× |
| Oregon | 170 | 0.1 | 0.7× |
| Massachusetts | 260 | 0.1 | 0.6× |
| Kansas | 80 | 0.1 | 0.4× |
| Minnesota | 160 | 0.1 | 0.4× |
| Maryland | 140 | 0.1 | 0.4× |
| Michigan | 210 | 0.1 | 0.4× |
| Illinois | 270 | 0.0 | 0.4× |
| Ohio | 180 | 0.0 | 0.2× |
| Pennsylvania | 180 | 0.0 | 0.2× |
| Virginia | 100 | 0.0 | 0.2× |
| Louisiana | 40 | 0.0 | 0.2× |
| Indiana | 60 | 0.0 | 0.2× |
| Wisconsin | 40 | 0.0 | 0.1× |
| New Jersey | 50 | 0.0 | 0.1× |
Metros with the most plasterer jobs
| Metro | Jobs | Median $/hr |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,690 | $27.85 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,310 | $23.90 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,290 | $25.76 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 840 | $57.78 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 780 | $27.47 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 580 | $34.28 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 520 | $29.37 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 460 | $27.40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 460 | $30.09 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 420 | $34.95 |
Highest-paying metros for plasterers
| Metro | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | Adjusted rank | 90th pct | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $57.78 | $51.31 | #1 | $57.79 | 840 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $34.28 | $29.65 | #2 | $52.96 | 580 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $29.37 | $26.25 | #4 | $48.50 | 520 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $27.85 | $24.52 | #5 | $48.41 | 1,690 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $27.47 | $27.42 | #3 | $49.64 | 780 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $25.76 | $24.21 | #6 | $37.07 | 1,290 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $23.90 | $23.14 | #7 | $38.37 | 1,310 |
Metros with at least 500 plasterers. Cost-of-living adjustment divides the median by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100); the adjusted rank is among the 7 metros with a parity.
Union scale and prevailing wage for plasterers
Federal construction projects must pay the Davis-Bacon rate for each county. Where the rate comes from a union contract it is the local journeyman scale: base wage plus fringe (health, pension, training). Where it comes from a survey, it is often older and lower. This table summarises the Building-construction determination for plasterers in every state.
| State | Counties with a union rate | Typical union package (base + fringe, $/hr) | Typical survey rate | Counties with a rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 100% | $90.05 | — | 8/14 |
| New York | 100% | $81.29 | — | 9/62 |
| Hawaii | 100% | $80.65 | — | 5/5 |
| Rhode Island | 100% | $74.95 | — | 5/5 |
| Washington | 100% | $73.17 | — | 5/39 |
| Alaska | 100% | $71.56 | — | 30/30 |
| Delaware | 100% | $70.01 | — | 3/3 |
| New Jersey | 81% | $70.01 | $42.33 | 21/21 |
| California | 90% | $68.41 | $25.95 | 58/58 |
| Oregon | 20% | $66.39 | $23.66 | 5/36 |
| Wisconsin | 100% | $64.85 | — | 64/72 |
| Iowa | 100% | $62.27 | — | 1/99 |
| Illinois | 100% | $62.05 | — | 101/102 |
| Kansas | 17% | $56.75 | $43.14 | 6/105 |
| Indiana | 98% | $49.82 | $15.49 | 83/92 |
| Pennsylvania | 68% | $49.68 | $31.75 | 34/67 |
| North Dakota | 100% | $49.05 | — | 1/53 |
| Oklahoma | 67% | $47.80 | $17.50 | 24/77 |
| Ohio | 100% | $47.14 | — | 28/88 |
| Michigan | 100% | $44.70 | — | 28/83 |
| District of Columbia | 100% | $43.32 | — | 1/1 |
| Texas | 13% | $41.64 | $15.50 | 75/254 |
| West Virginia | 100% | $40.18 | — | 33/55 |
| New Mexico | 4% | $35.50 | $24.16 | 27/33 |
| Florida | 0% | — | $15.90 | 6/67 |
| Minnesota | 0% | — | $54.73 | 85/87 |
| Nevada | 0% | — | $61.37 | 17/17 |
| South Carolina | 0% | — | $48.05 | 3/46 |
| Utah | 0% | — | $18.36 | 2/29 |
Source: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions, Building construction type. Not the official determination; see each state page for county detail and links to the official text.
Job outlook
The BLS Employment Projections program expects the number of plasterers to change by +2.8% over 2025-35, from 22,900 to 23,600, with about 1,500 openings a year.
Of those openings, 0 a year come from growth in the number of jobs and 1,500 from replacement: 700 for people who retire or leave the workforce and 800 for people who move to another occupation.
BLS worker characteristics, 2025-35: typical education for entry: no formal educational credential; related work experience: none; on-the-job training: long-term on-the-job training.
What each state projects
State labor market agencies publish their own projections on a 2024–2034 cycle. Colorado projects the fastest growth for plasterers at +22.5%; by openings, California (630 a year), Florida (230 a year), Arizona (160 a year) lead. 31 states publish a figure for this occupation.
| State | Jobs, 2024 | Projected, 2034 | Change | Openings per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 710 | 880 | +22.5% | 80 |
| Arizona | 1,660 | 1,920 | +15.3% | 160 |
| Montana | 40 | 50 | +13.6% | 0 |
| Utah | 1,370 | 1,560 | +13.6% | 130 |
| Florida | 2,490 | 2,830 | +13.4% | 230 |
| South Dakota | 40 | 50 | +11.1% | 0 |
| Oregon | 180 | 200 | +10.9% | 20 |
| Nevada | 1,360 | 1,470 | +8.8% | 120 |
| New Jersey | 130 | 140 | +7.9% | 10 |
| Mississippi | 30 | 30 | +7.1% | 0 |
| Texas | 870 | 940 | +7.1% | 70 |
| Maryland | 160 | 170 | +6.9% | 10 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | 180 | +6.5% | 10 |
| New Mexico | 400 | 430 | +6.4% | 30 |
| Iowa | 130 | 140 | +6.2% | 10 |
| Wisconsin | 160 | 170 | +6.2% | 10 |
| Virginia | 160 | 170 | +6.1% | 10 |
| Indiana | 180 | 190 | +6.0% | 20 |
| California | 7,800 | 8,200 | +5.1% | 630 |
| Missouri | 460 | 480 | +4.8% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | 260 | 280 | +4.5% | 20 |
| South Carolina | 90 | 90 | +4.4% | 10 |
| Minnesota | 140 | 140 | +4.3% | 10 |
| Illinois | 320 | 330 | +4.1% | 20 |
| Hawaii | 80 | 90 | +3.6% | 10 |
| Louisiana | 60 | 70 | +3.1% | 0 |
| Ohio | 200 | 200 | +2.6% | 20 |
| Kentucky | 50 | 50 | +2.0% | 0 |
| Michigan | 270 | 280 | +1.8% | 20 |
| New York | 1,020 | 1,030 | +1.5% | 80 |
| Washington | 370 | 370 | +1.4% | 30 |
Source: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central, 2024–2034 projections. State base counts include the self-employed, so they run higher than the BLS survey count above.
Compare plasterer pay with other trades
See how plasterer pay compares with other trades on the ranking of all trades and the comparison pages.
Questions this page answers
How much do plasterers make an hour?
Hourly pay runs from about $19.02 at the 10th percentile to $46.50 at the 90th, with a median of $27.72. Overtime, per-diem and union fringe benefits are not included in these figures.
What does a starting or apprentice plasterer make?
Entry-level pay sits near the bottom of the distribution: roughly $19.02 to $23.06 an hour ($39,560 to $47,970 a year). Registered apprentices usually start at a fixed percentage of the local journeyman rate and step up every six to twelve months.
Which state pays plasterers the most?
New York had the highest median at $57.78 an hour in May 2025, followed by Hawaii ($50.13) and Minnesota ($49.29). Adjusted for cost of living the order changes; see the state table.
Are plasterer wages going up?
In today's dollars the median plasterer wage changed by +13.8% over the last ten years of data (CPI-adjusted). The nominal median rose from $17.94 to $27.72.
Is plasterer a good career?
By the numbers: median pay of $57,660 a year, a 90th percentile of $96,710, projected growth of +2.8% and about 1,500 openings a year. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself; this site only reports the pay and demand data.
Are plasterer jobs growing?
The BLS employer survey counted 19,310 plasterers in May 2025, -13.9% compared with ten years earlier and -29.4% since 2019. Looking ahead, BLS projects +2.8% growth over 2025-35 with about 1,500 openings a year, most of them replacing people who leave the occupation.
Which states will need the most plasterers?
By projected annual openings, the state agencies' figures put California (630 a year, +5.1% growth), Florida (230 a year, +13.4% growth), Arizona (160 a year, +15.3% growth) at the top. Every state's projection is in the outlook table above.
Where are plasterers most concentrated?
Relative to the size of each state's workforce, Nevada has the highest concentration at 6.0× the national share, then Arizona (4.8×) and New Mexico (4.3×). The largest absolute job counts are usually in the most populous states; see the map above.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2161 (Plasterers and stucco masons). Wages exclude overtime and benefits; job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 2025 base.
- Cost-of-living adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, 2024.
- Prevailing wage: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35 (Tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12). Public-domain data; Skilled Wages is not affiliated with BLS.
- State projections: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central (Projections Managing Partnership), 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05. State figures include the self-employed.