Skilled Wages

Plasterer salary in Pennsylvania

Median $33.67 an hour for 180 plasterers and stucco masons, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$33.67/hrMedian hourly wagePennsylvania, May data
$70,030/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$26.72 – $43.3410th to 90th percentilehourly range
180Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Plasterer pay in Pennsylvania: the full range

Wage percentiles, PennsylvaniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrPennsylvania: 10th $26.72 · 25th $30.10 · median $33.67 · 75th $37.60 · 90th $43.34Pennsylvania$33.67$26.72$43.34United States: 10th $19.02 · 25th $23.06 · median $27.72 · 75th $34.28 · 90th $46.50United States$27.72
Hourly wage percentiles for plasterers and stucco masons: Pennsylvania vs United States, May 2025.

Pennsylvania ranks 9th of 28 states for median plasterer pay, and 8th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.50). 180 plasterers and stucco masons work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$26.72 – $30.10$55,570 – $62,600roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$30.10 – $37.60$62,600 – $78,200the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$37.60 – $43.34$78,200 – $90,160the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plasterer pay by metro in Pennsylvania

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPhiladelphia: $37.60Philadelphia$37.60Pittsburgh: $31.89Pittsburgh$31.89
Median hourly wage for plasterers and stucco masons by metro area in Pennsylvania, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$30.10$37.60$46.448012% above
Pittsburgh$27.60$31.89$39.74505% below

Plasterer wages in Pennsylvania over time

Pennsylvania, 1999-2025PennsylvaniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$33.67Pennsylvania$27.72United States
Median hourly wage for plasterers and stucco masons, Pennsylvania vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearPennsylvania $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.12$29.22$14.48930
2000$18.45$34.49$16.002,010
2001$17.35$31.54$15.791,720
2002$16.62$29.74$15.911,660
2003$16.97$29.69$15.901,790
2004$16.63$28.34$15.601,300
2005$17.96$29.61$16.08940
2006$19.53$31.19$16.68670
2007$21.18$32.89$17.52720
2008$21.82$32.63$18.01570
2009$23.07$34.62$18.16550
2010$18.20$26.87$17.89470
2011$24.20$34.64$17.71350
2012$22.56$31.63$17.85340
2013$23.19$32.05$17.64360
2014$22.48$30.57$18.05400
2015$22.33$30.33$17.94260
2016$23.43$31.43$18.70250
2017$23.95$31.46$19.59230
2018$23.02$29.51$20.93430
2019$28.21$35.52$21.85520
2020$28.89$35.94$22.61460
2021$28.45$33.80$23.24340
2022$29.74$32.72$23.91370
2023$31.30$33.07$25.31220
2024$30.03$30.82$26.93230
2025$33.67$33.67$27.72180

In today's dollars, the median plasterer wage in Pennsylvania changed by +11.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for plasterers in Pennsylvania

On federally funded construction in Pennsylvania, contractors must pay plasterers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 23 of the 34 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $49.68 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $31.75). 10 of the 34 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Bedford County at $31.75). The market median for the state is $33.67.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, PAAdams: —Allegheny: —Armstrong: $49.68 (union)Beaver: $49.68 (union)Bedford: $31.75 (survey)Berks: —Blair: $42.06 (union)Bradford: —Bucks: $78.67 (union)Butler: $49.68 (union)Cambria: $42.06 (union)Cameron: $31.75 (survey)Carbon: —Centre: $42.06 (union)Chester: $78.67 (union)Clarion: $49.68 (union)Clearfield: $49.68 (union)Clinton: $31.75 (survey)Columbia: —Crawford: $49.68 (union)Cumberland: —Dauphin: —Delaware: $78.67 (union)Elk: $31.75 (survey)Erie: $46.88 (survey)Fayette: $49.68 (union)Forest: $49.68 (union)Franklin: —Fulton: $31.75 (survey)Greene: $49.68 (union)Huntingdon: $31.75 (survey)Indiana: $49.68 (union)Jefferson: $31.75 (survey)Juniata: —Lackawanna: —Lancaster: —Lawrence: $49.68 (union)Lebanon: —Lehigh: —Luzerne: —Lycoming: —McKean: $31.75 (survey)Mercer: —Mifflin: —Monroe: —Montgomery: $78.67 (union)Montour: —Northampton: —Northumberland: —Perry: —Philadelphia: $78.67 (union)Pike: —Potter: $31.75 (survey)Schuylkill: —Snyder: —Somerset: $31.75 (survey)Sullivan: —Susquehanna: —Tioga: —Union: —Venango: $49.68 (union)Warren: $49.68 (union)Washington: $49.68 (union)Wayne: —Westmoreland: $49.68 (union)Wyoming: —York: —Union / prevailing package, $/hr$47.44$49.68n/asurvey 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)$20$40$60$80$100/hrBucks (Philadelphia): market median $37.60, prevailing (union) $78.67, gap +$41.07Bucks (Philadelphia)+$41.07Armstrong (Pittsburgh): market median $31.89, prevailing (union) $49.68, gap +$17.79Armstrong (Pittsburgh)+$17.79Erie (Pennsylvania): market median $33.67, prevailing (survey) $46.88, gap +$13.21Erie (Pennsylvania)+$13.21
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plasterers, metro counties in Pennsylvania.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BucksUnion PLAS0592-014 2025-05-01$45.08$33.59$78.67PA20260078
ChesterUnion PLAS0592-014 2025-05-01$45.08$33.59$78.67PA20260083
DelawareUnion PLAS0592-014 2025-05-01$45.08$33.59$78.67PA20260087
MontgomeryUnion PLAS0592-014 2025-05-01$45.08$33.59$78.67PA20260099
PhiladelphiaUnion PLAS0592-014 2025-05-01$45.08$33.59$78.67PA20260003
ArmstrongUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260074
BeaverUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260075
ButlerUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260079
ClarionUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260046
ClearfieldUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260047
CrawfordUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260049
FayetteUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260089
ForestUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260051
GreeneUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260053
IndianaUnion PLAS0526-026 2021-06-01$30.69$18.99$49.68PA20260055

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Pennsylvania prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Pennsylvania?

272.7kConstruction jobsPennsylvania, 2026-08
-0.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025273kAug 2026
Construction employment in Pennsylvania (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Plasterer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Pennsylvania

Questions this page answers

How much do plasterers make in Pennsylvania?

The median plasterer in Pennsylvania earned $33.67 an hour ($70,030 a year) in May 2025, 21% above the national median of $27.72. The middle half earn $30.10–$37.60; the top 10% earn more than $43.34.

Where does Pennsylvania rank for plasterer pay?

Pennsylvania ranks 9th of 28 states for plasterer pay, with a median of $33.67 an hour, and 8th after adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.6, US = 100).

What is the union plasterer rate in Pennsylvania?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plasterers in 23 counties, with a typical package of $49.68 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plasterers work in Pennsylvania?

BLS counted 180 plasterers and stucco masons in Pennsylvania in May 2025, 0.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.24; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pennsylvania and metro areas, SOC 47-2161.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.