Skilled Wages

Tile setter salary in Indiana

Median $23.29 an hour for 540 tile setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$23.29/hrMedian hourly wageIndiana, May data
$48,450/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.13 – $37.1010th to 90th percentilehourly range
540Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Tile setter pay in Indiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, IndianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrIndiana: 10th $18.13 · 25th $20.64 · median $23.29 · 75th $27.66 · 90th $37.10Indiana$23.29$18.13$37.10United States: 10th $17.86 · 25th $21.73 · median $26.77 · 75th $33.76 · 90th $41.40United States$26.77
Hourly wage percentiles for tile setters: Indiana vs United States, May 2025.

Indiana ranks 29th of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 25th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.96). 540 tile setters 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$18.13 – $20.64$37,700 – $42,940roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$20.64 – $27.66$42,940 – $57,540the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$27.66 – $37.10$57,540 – $77,170the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Tile setter pay by metro in Indiana

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrChicago: $35.90Chicago$35.90Evansville: $29.13Evansville$29.13Indianapolis: $24.31Indianapolis$24.31Louisville: $22.85Louisville$22.85Cincinnati: $22.42Cincinnati$22.42
Median hourly wage for tile setters by metro area in Indiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Chicago$23.05$35.90$34.65$54.8455054% above
Evansville$22.47$29.13$31.84$38.734025% above
Indianapolis$19.09$24.31$25.40$36.522404% above
Louisville$17.26$22.85$24.54$27.62502% below
Cincinnati$10.70$22.42$23.50$35.481104% below

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

Tile setter wages in Indiana over time

Indiana, 1999-2025IndianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30200020052010201520202025$26.77United States$23.29Indiana
Median hourly wage for tile setters, Indiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIndiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.63$34.07$17.08—
2000$18.65$34.87$16.49250
2001$21.26$38.65$17.02510
2002$20.51$36.70$17.20300
2003$20.38$35.66$17.12300
2004$20.81$35.47$17.02510
2005$13.06$21.53$17.56—
2006$13.51$21.57$17.59750
2007$13.99$21.72$18.61540
2008$17.21$25.73$18.85270
2009$14.43$21.65$18.83270
2010$16.91$24.97$18.32290
2011$17.96$25.71$17.83450
2012$20.53$28.79$17.81410
2013$20.01$27.65$18.06470
2014$20.80$28.29$18.74490
2015$17.90$24.31$18.94590
2016$17.07$22.90$19.45460
2017$17.02$22.35$20.04560
2018$17.54$22.49$20.12560
2019$18.26$22.99$20.70560
2020$19.67$24.47$21.26560
2021$21.11$25.08$22.99380
2022$23.39$25.73$23.24330
2023$23.20$24.51$23.52660
2024$23.93$24.56$25.11530
2025$23.29$23.29$26.77540

In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in Indiana changed by -4.2% over the last ten years of data and by +1.3% since 2019.

Are there more tile setter jobs in Indiana?

0.2Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.7× the US share, 19th of 44 states

BLS counted 540 tile setters in Indiana in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 20%. 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 tile setters in Indiana

+10.2%Projected growth in Indiana2024–2034, state agency
60Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
760Jobs in 2024830 projected for 2034
+9.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Indiana's labor market agency projects the number of tile setters in the state to change by +10.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 760 to 830, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +9.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 540 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for tile setters in Indiana

On federally funded construction in Indiana, contractors must pay tile setters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 74 of the 74 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $52.95 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $23.29.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, INAdams: $50.63 (union)Allen: $50.63 (union)Bartholomew: $50.63 (union)Benton: $50.63 (union)Blackford: $50.63 (union)Boone: $50.63 (union)Brown: $56.03 (union)Carroll: $50.63 (union)Cass: $50.63 (union)Clark: $56.03 (union)Clay: $55.27 (union)Clinton: $50.63 (union)Crawford: n/aDaviess: n/aDearborn: $56.03 (union)Decatur: $56.03 (union)DeKalb: $50.63 (union)Delaware: $50.63 (union)Dubois: n/aElkhart: $58.12 (union)Fayette: $56.03 (union)Floyd: $56.03 (union)Fountain: $50.63 (union)Franklin: $56.03 (union)Fulton: $50.63 (union)Gibson: $55.27 (union)Grant: $50.63 (union)Greene: $55.27 (union)Hamilton: $50.63 (union)Hancock: $50.63 (union)Harrison: $56.03 (union)Hendricks: $50.63 (union)Henry: $56.03 (union)Howard: $50.63 (union)Huntington: $50.63 (union)Jackson: n/aJasper: $58.12 (union)Jay: $50.63 (union)Jefferson: n/aJennings: $56.03 (union)Johnson: $50.63 (union)Knox: n/aKosciusko: $58.12 (union)LaGrange: $58.12 (union)Lake: n/aLaPorte: n/aLawrence: n/aMadison: $50.63 (union)Marion: $50.63 (union)Marshall: $58.12 (union)Martin: n/aMiami: $50.63 (union)Monroe: $50.63 (union)Montgomery: $50.63 (union)Morgan: $50.63 (union)Newton: $58.12 (union)Noble: $50.63 (union)Ohio: $56.03 (union)Orange: n/aOwen: $55.27 (union)Parke: $55.27 (union)Perry: n/aPike: n/aPorter: n/aPosey: $55.27 (union)Pulaski: $58.12 (union)Putnam: $55.27 (union)Randolph: $56.03 (union)Ripley: $56.03 (union)Rush: $56.03 (union)St. Joseph: n/aScott: n/aShelby: $50.63 (union)Spencer: n/aStarke: $58.12 (union)Steuben: $50.63 (union)Sullivan: $55.27 (union)Switzerland: $56.03 (union)Tippecanoe: $50.63 (union)Tipton: $50.63 (union)Union: $56.03 (union)Vanderburgh: $55.27 (union)Vermillion: $55.27 (union)Vigo: $55.27 (union)Wabash: $50.63 (union)Warren: $50.63 (union)Warrick: $55.27 (union)Washington: n/aWayne: $56.03 (union)Wells: $50.63 (union)White: $50.63 (union)Whitley: $50.63 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$55.27$56.03n/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for tile setters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$20$40$60$80/hrElkhart (Indiana): market median $23.29, prevailing (union) $58.12, gap +$34.83Elkhart (Indiana)+$34.83Dearborn (Cincinnati): market median $22.42, prevailing (union) $56.03, gap +$33.61Dearborn (Cincinnati)+$33.61Clark (Louisville): market median $22.85, prevailing (union) $56.03, gap +$33.18Clark (Louisville)+$33.18Brown (Indianapolis): market median $24.31, prevailing (union) $56.03, gap +$31.72Brown (Indianapolis)+$31.72Posey (Evansville): market median $29.13, prevailing (union) $55.27, gap +$26.14Posey (Evansville)+$26.14Jasper (Chicago): market median $35.90, prevailing (union) $58.12, gap +$22.22Jasper (Chicago)+$22.22
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for tile setters, metro counties in Indiana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ElkhartUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
JasperUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
KosciuskoUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
LaGrangeUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
MarshallUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
NewtonUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
PulaskiUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
StarkeUnion BRIN0018-003 2023-06-01$34.50$23.62$58.12IN20260005
BrownUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004
ClarkUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004
DearbornUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004
DecaturUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004
FayetteUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004
FloydUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004
FranklinUnion BRIN0004-022 2024-06-01$37.97$18.06$56.03IN20260004

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

Is construction work growing in Indiana?

185.6kConstruction jobsIndiana, 2026-09
+2.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025186kSep 2026
Construction employment in Indiana (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Tile setter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Indiana

More on Indiana

Questions this page answers

How much do tile setters make in Indiana?

The median tile setter in Indiana earned $23.29 an hour ($48,450 a year) in May 2025, 13% below the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $20.64–$27.66; the top 10% earn more than $37.10.

Where does Indiana rank for tile setter pay?

Indiana ranks 29th of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $23.29 an hour, and 25th after adjusting for Indiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 93.3, US = 100).

What is the union tile setter rate in Indiana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for tile setters in 74 counties, with a typical package of $52.95 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many tile setters work in Indiana?

BLS counted 540 tile setters in Indiana in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.73; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is tile setter work growing in Indiana?

Indiana's labor market agency projects +10.2% growth for tile setters between 2024 and 2034, from 760 to 830 jobs.

How many tile setter openings a year are there in Indiana?

Indiana projects about 60 openings a year for tile setters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 3,300 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Indiana and metro areas, SOC 47-2044. 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: Indiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.