Skilled Wages

Plasterer salary in California

Median $28.82 an hour for 6,780 plasterers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$28.82/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$59,940/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.34 – $45.7910th to 90th percentilehourly range
6,780Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Plasterer pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrCalifornia: 10th $22.34 · 25th $23.91 · median $28.82 · 75th $35.64 · 90th $45.79California$28.82$22.34$45.79United States: 10th $19.02 · 25th $23.06 · median $27.72 · 75th $34.28 · 90th $46.50United States$27.72
Hourly wage percentiles for plasterers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 13th of 28 states for median plasterer pay, and 19th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.03). 6,780 plasterers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.34 – $23.91$46,460 – $49,730roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.91 – $35.64$49,730 – $74,130the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$35.64 – $45.79$74,130 – $95,240the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plasterer pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrNapa: $38.26Napa$38.26San Jose: $34.95San Jose$34.95San Francisco: $34.28San Francisco$34.28Santa Cruz: $32.79Santa Cruz$32.79Salinas: $30.93Salinas$30.93San Luis Obispo: $30.19San Luis Obispo$30.19Sacramento: $30.09Sacramento$30.09Oxnard: $29.59Oxnard$29.59Modesto: $29.50Modesto$29.50San Diego: $29.37San Diego$29.37Fresno: $29.32Fresno$29.32Yuba City: $28.97Yuba City$28.97
Median hourly wage for plasterers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Napa$23.67$38.26$33.98$43.764033% above
San Jose$27.98$34.95$31.66$49.6842021% above
San Francisco$25.40$34.28$29.65$52.9658019% above
Santa Cruz$22.67$32.79$29.84$49.6310014% above
Salinas$22.47$30.93$28.38$37.19807% above
San Luis Obispo$24.06$30.19$27.80$38.86505% above
Sacramento$22.35$30.09$28.20$43.484604% above
Oxnard$24.50$29.59$26.78$39.181803% above
Modesto$23.79$29.50$28.34$36.291802% above
San Diego$22.38$29.37$26.25$48.505202% above
Fresno$22.61$29.32$28.69$50.822002% above
Yuba City$23.31$28.97$27.80$36.26501% above
Santa Maria$22.43$28.91$26.57$38.32160about the same as
Stockton$21.45$28.26$26.89$39.541402% below
Redding$22.58$28.01$27.82$34.78503% below
Los Angeles$22.06$27.85$24.52$48.411,6903% below
Riverside$21.64$25.76$24.21$37.071,29011% below
Visalia$18.29$22.66$22.71$29.3323021% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Plasterer wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$28.82California$27.72United States
Median hourly wage for plasterers, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.22$27.48$14.4811,620
2000$16.58$31.00$16.0011,690
2001$15.34$27.89$15.7917,700
2002$16.29$29.15$15.9117,330
2003$16.45$28.78$15.9016,990
2004$15.58$26.55$15.6019,580
2005$16.93$27.91$16.0816,480
2006$17.82$28.46$16.6817,740
2007$19.36$30.06$17.5215,980
2008$20.13$30.10$18.0113,640
2009$21.20$31.81$18.1610,450
2010$21.42$31.62$17.897,420
2011$21.07$30.16$17.715,710
2012$21.44$30.06$17.855,700
2013$19.74$27.28$17.646,470
2014$19.03$25.88$18.056,840
2015$18.58$25.24$17.947,420
2016$20.72$27.79$18.707,250
2017$22.55$29.62$19.598,270
2018$23.76$30.46$20.938,280
2019$24.34$30.65$21.858,610
2020$24.43$30.39$22.617,660
2021$27.04$32.13$23.2411,180
2022$27.51$30.26$23.918,260
2023$29.42$31.08$25.317,490
2024$29.03$29.79$26.938,370
2025$28.82$28.82$27.726,780

In today's dollars, the median plasterer wage in California changed by +14.2% over the last ten years of data and by -6.0% since 2019.

Are there more plasterer jobs in California?

-21.3%Jobs since 20198,610 then, 6,780 in 2025
-8.6%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
0.4Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 3.0× the US share, 5th of 26 states

Since 1999, the number of plasterers counted in California has changed by -41.7%, against -61.4% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -21.3%.

Plasterers and stucco masons in California vs United States, 1999 = 100CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages05010015020020002005201020152020202558California39United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, California vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearCalifornia jobsCalifornia indexUS index
199911,620100100
200011,69010190
200117,700152108
200217,330149108
200316,990146107
200419,580168110
200516,48014295
200617,740153101
200715,98013898
200813,64011786
200910,4509068
20107,4206453
20115,7104946
20125,7004942
20136,4705641
20146,8405942
20157,4206445
20167,2506246
20178,2707148
20188,2807150
20198,6107455
20207,6606650
202111,1809654
20228,2607152
20237,4906445
20248,3707242
20256,7805839

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.

Outlook for plasterers in California

+5.1%Projected growth in California2024–2034, state agency
630Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
7,800Jobs in 20248,200 projected for 2034
+2.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

California's labor market agency projects the number of plasterers in the state to change by +5.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 7,800 to 8,200, with about 630 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 6,780 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for plasterers in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay plasterers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 52 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $68.41 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $25.95). 6 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $23.71). The market median for the state is $28.82.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $73.14 (union)Alpine: $68.41 (union)Amador: $23.71 (survey)Butte: $68.41 (union)Calaveras: $73.14 (union)Colusa: $68.41 (union)Contra Costa: $73.14 (union)Del Norte: $25.95 (survey)El Dorado: $68.41 (union)Fresno: $73.14 (union)Glenn: $68.41 (union)Humboldt: $25.95 (survey)Imperial: $67.01 (union)Inyo: $67.01 (union)Kern: $67.01 (union)Kings: $73.14 (union)Lake: $25.95 (survey)Lassen: $68.41 (union)Los Angeles: $67.01 (union)Madera: $73.14 (union)Marin: $68.41 (union)Mariposa: $73.14 (union)Mendocino: $25.95 (survey)Merced: $73.14 (union)Modoc: $68.41 (union)Mono: $67.01 (union)Monterey: $73.14 (union)Napa: $68.41 (union)Nevada: $68.41 (union)Orange: $67.01 (union)Placer: $68.41 (union)Plumas: $68.41 (union)Riverside: $67.01 (union)Sacramento: $68.41 (union)San Benito: $73.14 (union)San Bernardino: $67.01 (union)San Diego: $67.01 (union)San Francisco: $73.14 (union)San Joaquin: $73.14 (union)San Luis Obispo: $67.01 (union)San Mateo: $73.14 (union)Santa Barbara: $67.01 (union)Santa Clara: $73.14 (union)Santa Cruz: $73.14 (union)Shasta: $68.41 (union)Sierra: $68.41 (union)Siskiyou: $68.41 (union)Solano: $68.41 (union)Sonoma: $68.41 (union)Stanislaus: $73.14 (union)Sutter: $68.41 (union)Tehama: $68.41 (union)Trinity: $68.41 (union)Tulare: $14.99 (survey)Tuolumne: $73.14 (union)Ventura: $67.01 (union)Yolo: $68.41 (union)Yuba: $68.41 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$67.01$68.41survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for plasterers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$0$20$40$60$80/hrSan Joaquin (Stockton): market median $28.26, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$44.88San Joaquin (Stockton)+$44.88Kings (California): market median $28.82, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$44.32Kings (California)+$44.32Fresno (Fresno): market median $29.32, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$43.82Fresno (Fresno)+$43.82Stanislaus (Modesto): market median $29.50, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$43.64Stanislaus (Modesto)+$43.64Monterey (Salinas): market median $30.93, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$42.21Monterey (Salinas)+$42.21Riverside (Riverside): market median $25.76, prevailing (union) $67.01, gap +$41.25Riverside (Riverside)+$41.25Shasta (Redding): market median $28.01, prevailing (union) $68.41, gap +$40.40Shasta (Redding)+$40.40Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz): market median $32.79, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$40.35Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)+$40.35Sutter (Yuba City): market median $28.97, prevailing (union) $68.41, gap +$39.44Sutter (Yuba City)+$39.44Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $27.85, prevailing (union) $67.01, gap +$39.16Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$39.16Alameda (San Francisco): market median $34.28, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$38.86Alameda (San Francisco)+$38.86El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $30.09, prevailing (union) $68.41, gap +$38.32El Dorado (Sacramento)+$38.32San Benito (San Jose): market median $34.95, prevailing (union) $73.14, gap +$38.19San Benito (San Jose)+$38.19Santa Barbara (Santa Maria): market median $28.91, prevailing (union) $67.01, gap +$38.10Santa Barbara (Santa Maria)+$38.10San Diego (San Diego): market median $29.37, prevailing (union) $67.01, gap +$37.64San Diego (San Diego)+$37.64Ventura (Oxnard): market median $29.59, prevailing (union) $67.01, gap +$37.42Ventura (Oxnard)+$37.42San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo): market median $30.19, prevailing (union) $67.01, gap +$36.82San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo)+$36.82Napa (Napa): market median $38.26, prevailing (union) $68.41, gap +$30.15Napa (Napa)+$30.15Tulare (Visalia): market median $22.66, prevailing (survey) $14.99, gap −$7.67Tulare (Visalia)−$7.67
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plasterers, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamedaUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
CalaverasUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
Contra CostaUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
FresnoUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
KingsUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
MaderaUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
MariposaUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
MercedUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
MontereyUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
San BenitoUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
San FranciscoUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
San JoaquinUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
San MateoUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
Santa ClaraUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018
Santa CruzUnion PLAS0066-002 2019-07-01$42.41$30.73$73.14CA20260018

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

895.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-09
-0.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025896kSep 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Plasterer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

More on California

Questions this page answers

How much do plasterers make in California?

The median plasterer in California earned $28.82 an hour ($59,940 a year) in May 2025, 4% above the national median of $27.72. The middle half earn $23.91–$35.64; the top 10% earn more than $45.79.

Where does California rank for plasterer pay?

California ranks 13th of 28 states for plasterer pay, with a median of $28.82 an hour, and 19th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union plasterer rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plasterers in 52 counties, with a typical package of $68.41 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plasterers work in California?

BLS counted 6,780 plasterers in California in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 3.00; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plasterer work growing in California?

The BLS employer survey count of plasterers in California went from 7,420 in 2015 to 6,780 in 2025, -8.6%, and -21.3% since 2019. California's labor market agency projects +5.1% growth for plasterers between 2024 and 2034, from 7,800 to 8,200 jobs.

How many plasterer openings a year are there in California?

California projects about 630 openings a year for plasterers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 1,500 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-2161. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: California labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.