Skilled Wages

Plasterer salary in Wisconsin

Median $24.37 an hour for 40 plasterers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$24.37/hrMedian hourly wageWisconsin, May data
$50,700/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.67 – $35.7310th to 90th percentilehourly range
40Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plasterer pay in Wisconsin: the full range

Wage percentiles, WisconsinMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrWisconsin: 10th $22.67 · 25th $23.21 · median $24.37 · 75th $26.00 · 90th $35.73Wisconsin$24.37$22.67$35.73United States: 10th $19.02 · 25th $23.06 · median $27.72 · 75th $34.28 · 90th $46.50United States$27.72
Hourly wage percentiles for plasterers: Wisconsin vs United States, May 2025.

Wisconsin ranks 21st of 28 states for median plasterer pay, and 20th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.90). 40 plasterers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.6× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.67 – $23.21$47,150 – $48,270roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.21 – $26.00$48,270 – $54,090the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$26.00 – $35.73$54,090 – $74,320the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plasterer pay by metro in Wisconsin

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrMinneapolis: $52.00Minneapolis$52.00
Median hourly wage for plasterers by metro area in Wisconsin, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Minneapolis$48.10$52.00$52.00100113% above

Plasterer wages in Wisconsin over time

Wisconsin, 1999-2025WisconsinUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30200020052010201520202025$27.72United States$24.37Wisconsin
Median hourly wage for plasterers, Wisconsin vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWisconsin $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.41$27.85$14.48980
2000$16.98$31.75$16.00720
2001$17.54$31.89$15.79760
2002$19.02$34.04$15.91560
2003$19.63$34.35$15.90620
2004$16.82$28.67$15.60570
2005$19.67$32.43$16.08460
2006$17.75$28.35$16.68680
2007$18.69$29.02$17.52540
2008$18.59$27.80$18.01490
2009$22.27$33.42$18.16270
2010$25.74$38.00$17.89460
2011$27.05$38.72$17.71—
2012$25.43$35.66$17.85910
2013$21.02$29.05$17.64550
2014$18.64$25.35$18.05260
2015$20.30$27.57$17.94180
2016$20.27$27.19$18.70280
2017$18.29$24.02$19.59290
2018$18.00$23.08$20.93460
2019$18.74$23.60$21.85360
2020$19.46$24.21$22.61420
2021$23.09$27.43$23.24140
2022$24.64$27.11$23.9190
2023$24.89$26.30$25.31180
2024$25.32$25.99$26.93140
2025$24.37$24.37$27.7240

In today's dollars, the median plasterer wage in Wisconsin changed by -11.6% over the last ten years of data and by +3.3% since 2019.

Are there more plasterer jobs in Wisconsin?

0.0Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.1× the US share, 25th of 26 states

BLS counted 40 plasterers in Wisconsin in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 46%. 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 Wisconsin

+6.2%Projected growth in Wisconsin2024–2034, state agency
10Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
160Jobs in 2024170 projected for 2034
+2.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Wisconsin's labor market agency projects the number of plasterers in the state to change by +6.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 160 to 170, with about 10 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 40 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for plasterers in Wisconsin

On federally funded construction in Wisconsin, contractors must pay plasterers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 64 of the 64 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $64.85 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $24.37.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WIAdams: $64.85 (union)Ashland: $64.85 (union)Barron: $64.85 (union)Bayfield: $64.85 (union)Brown: n/aBuffalo: $64.85 (union)Burnett: $64.85 (union)Calumet: n/aChippewa: $64.85 (union)Clark: $64.85 (union)Columbia: $64.85 (union)Crawford: $64.85 (union)Dane: $68.62 (union)Dodge: $64.85 (union)Door: $64.85 (union)Douglas: $66.50 (union)Dunn: $64.85 (union)Eau Claire: $64.85 (union)Florence: $64.85 (union)Fond du Lac: $64.85 (union)Forest: $64.85 (union)Grant: $64.85 (union)Green: $64.85 (union)Green Lake: $64.85 (union)Iowa: $64.85 (union)Iron: $64.85 (union)Jackson: $64.85 (union)Jefferson: $64.85 (union)Juneau: $64.85 (union)Kenosha: $68.12 (union)Kewaunee: $64.85 (union)La Crosse: $64.85 (union)Lafayette: $64.85 (union)Langlade: $64.85 (union)Lincoln: $64.85 (union)Manitowoc: $64.85 (union)Marathon: n/aMarinette: $64.85 (union)Marquette: $64.85 (union)Menominee: $64.85 (union)Milwaukee: $67.93 (union)Monroe: $64.85 (union)Oconto: $64.85 (union)Oneida: $64.85 (union)Outagamie: n/aOzaukee: $67.93 (union)Pepin: $64.85 (union)Pierce: n/aPolk: $64.85 (union)Portage: $64.85 (union)Price: $64.85 (union)Racine: $68.12 (union)Richland: $64.85 (union)Rock: $68.62 (union)Rusk: $64.85 (union)St. Croix: n/aSauk: $64.85 (union)Sawyer: $64.85 (union)Shawano: $64.85 (union)Sheboygan: n/aTaylor: $64.85 (union)Trempealeau: $64.85 (union)Vernon: $64.85 (union)Vilas: $64.85 (union)Walworth: $64.85 (union)Washburn: $64.85 (union)Washington: $67.93 (union)Waukesha: $67.93 (union)Waupaca: $64.85 (union)Waushara: $64.85 (union)Winnebago: n/aWood: $64.85 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrn/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for plasterers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DaneUnion PLAS0599-001 2025-06-01$38.22$30.40$68.62WI20260005
RockUnion PLAS0599-001 2025-06-01$38.22$30.40$68.62WI20260012
KenoshaUnion PLAS0599-009 2025-06-01$37.20$30.92$68.12WI20260004
RacineUnion PLAS0599-009 2025-06-01$37.20$30.92$68.12WI20260009
MilwaukeeUnion PLAS0599-005 2025-06-01$39.89$28.04$67.93WI20260001
OzaukeeUnion PLAS0599-005 2025-06-01$39.89$28.04$67.93WI20260001
WashingtonUnion PLAS0599-005 2025-06-01$39.89$28.04$67.93WI20260001
WaukeshaUnion PLAS0599-005 2025-06-01$39.89$28.04$67.93WI20260001
DouglasUnion PLAS0633-048 2025-06-01$40.84$25.66$66.50WI20260007
AdamsUnion PLAS0599-003 2025-06-01$39.75$25.10$64.85WI20260011
AshlandUnion PLAS0599-003 2025-06-01$39.75$25.10$64.85WI20260011
BarronUnion PLAS0599-003 2025-06-01$39.75$25.10$64.85WI20260011
BayfieldUnion PLAS0599-003 2025-06-01$39.75$25.10$64.85WI20260011
BuffaloUnion PLAS0599-003 2025-06-01$39.75$25.10$64.85WI20260011
BurnettUnion PLAS0599-003 2025-06-01$39.75$25.10$64.85WI20260011

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

Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?

160.1kConstruction jobsWisconsin, 2026-09
+5.0%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025160kSep 2026
Construction employment in Wisconsin (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Plasterer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Wisconsin

More on Wisconsin

Questions this page answers

How much do plasterers make in Wisconsin?

The median plasterer in Wisconsin earned $24.37 an hour ($50,700 a year) in May 2025, 12% below the national median of $27.72. The middle half earn $23.21–$26.00; the top 10% earn more than $35.73.

Where does Wisconsin rank for plasterer pay?

Wisconsin ranks 21st of 28 states for plasterer pay, with a median of $24.37 an hour, and 20th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).

What is the union plasterer rate in Wisconsin?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plasterers in 64 counties, with a typical package of $64.85 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plasterers work in Wisconsin?

BLS counted 40 plasterers in Wisconsin in May 2025, 0.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.11; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plasterer work growing in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin's labor market agency projects +6.2% growth for plasterers between 2024 and 2034, from 160 to 170 jobs.

How many plasterer openings a year are there in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin projects about 10 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, Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.