Tile setter salary in Iowa
Median $26.13 an hour for 240 tile setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 2000 and the state's own outlook.
Tile setter pay in Iowa: the full range
Iowa ranks 21st of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 12th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.76). 240 tile setters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.01 – $23.11 | $43,700 – $48,070 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.11 – $34.11 | $48,070 – $70,950 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $34.11 – $37.24 | $70,950 – $77,460 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Tile setter pay by metro in Iowa
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $15.19 | $29.34 | $44.49 | — | 12% above |
Tile setter wages in Iowa over time
Table
| Year | Iowa $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | $18.22 | $34.06 | $16.49 | — |
| 2001 | $18.56 | $33.74 | $17.02 | 170 |
| 2002 | $16.14 | $28.88 | $17.20 | 130 |
| 2003 | $15.58 | $27.26 | $17.12 | 230 |
| 2004 | $17.04 | $29.04 | $17.02 | 280 |
| 2005 | $17.91 | $29.52 | $17.56 | 110 |
| 2006 | $20.26 | $32.35 | $17.59 | 110 |
| 2007 | $17.43 | $27.06 | $18.61 | 120 |
| 2008 | $17.02 | $25.45 | $18.85 | 240 |
| 2009 | $16.76 | $25.15 | $18.83 | 260 |
| 2010 | $16.93 | $25.00 | $18.32 | 320 |
| 2011 | $16.13 | $23.09 | $17.83 | 260 |
| 2012 | $17.04 | $23.89 | $17.81 | 230 |
| 2013 | $16.97 | $23.45 | $18.06 | 270 |
| 2014 | $17.27 | $23.49 | $18.74 | 380 |
| 2015 | $17.15 | $23.30 | $18.94 | 330 |
| 2016 | $17.36 | $23.29 | $19.45 | 340 |
| 2017 | $19.16 | $25.16 | $20.04 | 240 |
| 2018 | $19.88 | $25.49 | $20.12 | 210 |
| 2019 | $22.80 | $28.71 | $20.70 | 140 |
| 2020 | $22.47 | $27.95 | $21.26 | 190 |
| 2021 | $18.32 | $21.77 | $22.99 | 190 |
| 2022 | $21.86 | $24.05 | $23.24 | 270 |
| 2023 | $23.41 | $24.73 | $23.52 | 220 |
| 2024 | $25.00 | $25.66 | $25.11 | 320 |
| 2025 | $26.13 | $26.13 | $26.77 | 240 |
In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in Iowa changed by +12.2% over the last ten years of data and by -9.0% since 2019.
Are there more tile setter jobs in Iowa?
BLS counted 240 tile setters in Iowa 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 Iowa
Iowa's labor market agency projects the number of tile setters in the state to change by +12.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 300 to 330, with about 20 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +9.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 240 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for tile setters in Iowa
On federally funded construction in Iowa, contractors must pay tile setters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 15 of the 15 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $53.79 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $26.13.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Union BRIA0003-020 2025-05-01 | $37.44 | $19.12 | $56.56 | IA20260064 |
| Polk | Union BRIA0003-020 2025-05-01 | $37.44 | $19.12 | $56.56 | IA20260071 |
| Story | Union BRIA0003-020 2025-05-01 | $37.44 | $19.12 | $56.56 | IA20260074 |
| Warren | Union BRIA0003-020 2025-05-01 | $37.44 | $19.12 | $56.56 | IA20260075 |
| Harrison | Union BRIA0003-022 2025-06-01 | $34.80 | $19.24 | $54.04 | IA20260067 |
| Mills | Union BRIA0003-022 2025-06-01 | $34.80 | $19.24 | $54.04 | IA20260070 |
| Pottawattamie | Union BRIA0003-022 2025-06-01 | $34.80 | $19.24 | $54.04 | IA20260072 |
| Benton | Union BRIA0003-019 2025-05-01 | $36.00 | $17.79 | $53.79 | IA20260078 |
| Johnson | Union BRIA0003-019 2025-05-01 | $36.00 | $17.79 | $53.79 | IA20260068 |
| Jones | Union BRIA0003-019 2025-05-01 | $36.00 | $17.79 | $53.79 | IA20260078 |
| Linn | Union BRIA0003-019 2025-05-01 | $36.00 | $17.79 | $53.79 | IA20260069 |
| Scott | Union BRIA0003-006 2025-05-01 | $32.80 | $20.25 | $53.05 | IA20260073 |
| Black Hawk | Union BRIA0003-021 2025-05-01 | $30.65 | $20.10 | $50.75 | IA20260062 |
| Bremer | Union BRIA0003-021 2025-05-01 | $30.65 | $20.10 | $50.75 | IA20260063 |
| Grundy | Union BRIA0003-021 2025-05-01 | $30.65 | $20.10 | $50.75 | IA20260066 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Iowa prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Iowa?
Keep comparing
Tile setter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Iowa
More on Iowa
Questions this page answers
How much do tile setters make in Iowa?
The median tile setter in Iowa earned $26.13 an hour ($54,350 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $23.11–$34.11; the top 10% earn more than $37.24.
Where does Iowa rank for tile setter pay?
Iowa ranks 21st of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $26.13 an hour, and 12th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).
What is the union tile setter rate in Iowa?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for tile setters in 15 counties, with a typical package of $53.79 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many tile setters work in Iowa?
BLS counted 240 tile setters in Iowa in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.68; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is tile setter work growing in Iowa?
Iowa's labor market agency projects +12.1% growth for tile setters between 2024 and 2034, from 300 to 330 jobs.
How many tile setter openings a year are there in Iowa?
Iowa projects about 20 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, Iowa 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: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.