Skilled Wages

Tile setter salary in New Jersey

Median $29.99 an hour for 460 tile and stone setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.99/hrMedian hourly wageNew Jersey, May data
$62,370/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.47 – $54.7810th to 90th percentilehourly range
460Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Tile setter pay in New Jersey: the full range

Wage percentiles, New JerseyMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrNew Jersey: 10th $18.47 · 25th $22.31 · median $29.99 · 75th $46.73 · 90th $54.78New Jersey$29.99$18.47$54.78United States: 10th $17.86 · 25th $21.73 · median $26.77 · 75th $33.76 · 90th $41.40United States$26.77
Hourly wage percentiles for tile and stone setters: New Jersey vs United States, May 2025.

New Jersey ranks 10th of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 16th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.56). 460 tile and stone setters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.47 – $22.31$38,420 – $46,410roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.31 – $46.73$46,410 – $97,190the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$46.73 – $54.78$97,190 – $113,930the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Tile setter pay by metro in New Jersey

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPhiladelphia: $34.01Philadelphia$34.01New York City: $29.52New York City$29.52Allentown: $24.71Allentown$24.71
Median hourly wage for tile and stone setters by metro area in New Jersey, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$19.37$34.01$46.9239013% above
New York City$19.10$29.52$48.742,6002% below
Allentown$19.11$24.71$49.438018% below

Tile setter wages in New Jersey over time

New Jersey, 1999-2025New JerseyUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.99New Jersey$26.77United States
Median hourly wage for tile and stone setters, New Jersey vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew Jersey $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$28.42$54.92$17.08360
2000$23.26$43.49$16.49440
2001$19.84$36.07$17.02630
2002$24.01$42.97$17.20610
2003$17.21$30.11$17.12590
2004$20.81$35.47$17.02660
2005$24.08$39.69$17.56940
2006$26.46$42.26$17.59950
2007$29.45$45.73$18.611,210
2008$26.79$40.06$18.851,250
2009$24.56$36.86$18.831,180
2010$24.14$35.64$18.32840
2011$29.80$42.65$17.83630
2012$24.05$33.72$17.81810
2013$17.81$24.61$18.06900
2014$18.46$25.10$18.74890
2015$21.38$29.04$18.941,110
2016$22.92$30.74$19.451,050
2017$23.66$31.08$20.041,320
2018$23.29$29.86$20.121,080
2019$23.45$29.53$20.701,180
2020$22.89$28.47$21.261,070
2021$26.27$31.21$22.99650
2022$28.91$31.80$23.241,010
2023$24.94$26.35$23.52900
2024$28.25$28.99$25.11810
2025$29.99$29.99$26.77460

In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in New Jersey changed by +3.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for tile setters in New Jersey

On federally funded construction in New Jersey, contractors must pay tile setters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 21 of the 21 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $102.18 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $29.99.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NJAtlantic: $90.32 (union)Bergen: $102.18 (union)Burlington: $90.32 (union)Camden: $90.32 (union)Cape May: $90.32 (union)Cumberland: $90.32 (union)Essex: $102.18 (union)Gloucester: $90.32 (union)Hudson: $102.18 (union)Hunterdon: $102.18 (union)Mercer: $102.18 (union)Middlesex: $102.18 (union)Monmouth: $102.18 (union)Morris: $102.18 (union)Ocean: $90.32 (union)Passaic: $102.18 (union)Salem: $90.32 (union)Somerset: $102.18 (union)Sussex: $102.18 (union)Union: $102.18 (union)Warren: $102.18 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr
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$25$50$75$100$125/hrWarren (Allentown): market median $24.71, prevailing (union) $102.18, gap +$77.47Warren (Allentown)+$77.47Bergen (New York City): market median $29.52, prevailing (union) $102.18, gap +$72.66Bergen (New York City)+$72.66Mercer (New Jersey): market median $29.99, prevailing (union) $102.18, gap +$72.19Mercer (New Jersey)+$72.19Burlington (Philadelphia): market median $34.01, prevailing (union) $90.32, gap +$56.31Burlington (Philadelphia)+$56.31
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for tile setters, metro counties in New Jersey.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BergenUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260026
EssexUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260031
HudsonUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260033
HunterdonUnion BRNJ0007-001 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260034
MercerUnion BRNJ0007-015 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260035
MiddlesexUnion BRNJ0007-020 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260036
MonmouthUnion BRNJ0007-016 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260037
MorrisUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260038
PassaicUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260040
SomersetUnion BRNJ0007-001 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260042
SussexUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260043
UnionUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260044
WarrenUnion BRNJ0007-022 2025-06-02$64.90$37.28$102.18NJ20260045
AtlanticUnion BRNJ0007-017 2025-06-02$52.31$38.01$90.32NJ20260025
BurlingtonUnion BRNJ0007-017 2025-06-02$52.31$38.01$90.32NJ20260027

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

Is construction work growing in New Jersey?

167.4kConstruction jobsNew Jersey, 2026-08
-2.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025167kAug 2026
Construction employment in New Jersey (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Tile setter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New Jersey

Questions this page answers

How much do tile setters make in New Jersey?

The median tile setter in New Jersey earned $29.99 an hour ($62,370 a year) in May 2025, 12% above the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $22.31–$46.73; the top 10% earn more than $54.78.

Where does New Jersey rank for tile setter pay?

New Jersey ranks 10th of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $29.99 an hour, and 16th after adjusting for New Jersey's cost of living (BEA price parity 108.8, US = 100).

What is the union tile setter rate in New Jersey?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for tile setters in 21 counties, with a typical package of $102.18 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many tile setters work in New Jersey?

BLS counted 460 tile and stone setters in New Jersey in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.47; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Jersey and metro areas, SOC 47-2044.
  • 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.