Plasterer salary in Colorado
Median $22.87 an hour for 480 plasterers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Plasterer pay in Colorado: the full range
Colorado ranks 25th of 28 states for median plasterer pay, and 27th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $22.18). 480 plasterers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.53 – $20.17 | $38,530 – $41,960 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $20.17 – $35.33 | $41,960 – $73,490 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $35.33 – $37.18 | $73,490 – $77,340 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Plasterer pay by metro in Colorado
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | $20.45 | $23.65 | $38.48 | 200 | 3% above |
Plasterer wages in Colorado over time
Table
| Year | Colorado $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.89 | $26.84 | $14.48 | 270 |
| 2000 | $13.74 | $25.69 | $16.00 | 690 |
| 2001 | $13.23 | $24.05 | $15.79 | 1,130 |
| 2002 | $14.10 | $25.23 | $15.91 | 1,210 |
| 2003 | $14.41 | $25.21 | $15.90 | 1,120 |
| 2004 | $14.12 | $24.06 | $15.60 | 850 |
| 2005 | $13.97 | $23.03 | $16.08 | 1,120 |
| 2006 | $14.64 | $23.38 | $16.68 | 1,250 |
| 2007 | $14.59 | $22.65 | $17.52 | 970 |
| 2008 | $15.38 | $23.00 | $18.01 | 840 |
| 2009 | $15.33 | $23.00 | $18.16 | 720 |
| 2010 | $15.27 | $22.54 | $17.89 | 480 |
| 2011 | $14.14 | $20.24 | $17.71 | 340 |
| 2012 | $14.73 | $20.65 | $17.85 | 350 |
| 2013 | $16.13 | $22.29 | $17.64 | 520 |
| 2014 | $17.54 | $23.85 | $18.05 | 460 |
| 2015 | $18.08 | $24.56 | $17.94 | 600 |
| 2016 | $16.55 | $22.20 | $18.70 | 670 |
| 2017 | $16.64 | $21.86 | $19.59 | 510 |
| 2018 | $17.58 | $22.54 | $20.93 | — |
| 2019 | $18.30 | $23.04 | $21.85 | 250 |
| 2020 | $19.13 | $23.80 | $22.61 | 400 |
| 2021 | $21.21 | $25.20 | $23.24 | 320 |
| 2022 | $22.14 | $24.36 | $23.91 | 530 |
| 2023 | $23.94 | $25.29 | $25.31 | 710 |
| 2024 | $25.00 | $25.66 | $26.93 | 690 |
| 2025 | $22.87 | $22.87 | $27.72 | 480 |
In today's dollars, the median plasterer wage in Colorado changed by -6.9% over the last ten years of data and by -0.8% since 2019.
Are there more plasterer jobs in Colorado?
BLS counted 480 plasterers in Colorado in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 21%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for plasterers in Colorado
Colorado's labor market agency projects the number of plasterers in the state to change by +22.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 710 to 880, with about 80 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 480 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Colorado?
Keep comparing
Plasterer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Colorado
More on Colorado
Questions this page answers
How much do plasterers make in Colorado?
The median plasterer in Colorado earned $22.87 an hour ($47,570 a year) in May 2025, 17% below the national median of $27.72. The middle half earn $20.17–$35.33; the top 10% earn more than $37.18.
Where does Colorado rank for plasterer pay?
Colorado ranks 25th of 28 states for plasterer pay, with a median of $22.87 an hour, and 27th after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).
What is the union plasterer rate in Colorado?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a plasterer classification for most Colorado counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many plasterers work in Colorado?
BLS counted 480 plasterers in Colorado in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.35; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is plasterer work growing in Colorado?
Colorado's labor market agency projects +22.5% growth for plasterers between 2024 and 2034, from 710 to 880 jobs.
How many plasterer openings a year are there in Colorado?
Colorado projects about 80 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, Colorado 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: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.