Skilled Wages

Tile setter salary in New York

Median $29.45 an hour for 2,990 tile and stone setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.45/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$61,260/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.00 – $46.4910th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,990Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Tile setter pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrNew York: 10th $19.00 · 25th $24.10 · median $29.45 · 75th $35.91 · 90th $46.49New York$29.45$19.00$46.49United 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 York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 11th of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 21st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $27.29). 2,990 tile and stone setters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$19.00 – $24.10$39,520 – $50,130roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.10 – $35.91$50,130 – $74,690the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$35.91 – $46.49$74,690 – $96,700the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Tile setter pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrRochester: $29.67Rochester$29.67New York City: $29.52New York City$29.52Syracuse: $28.99Syracuse$28.99Poughkeepsie: $28.70Poughkeepsie$28.70Buffalo: $28.00Buffalo$28.00Albany: $27.73Albany$27.73
Median hourly wage for tile and stone setters by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Rochester$19.03$29.67$37.061101% above
New York City$19.10$29.52$48.742,600about the same as
Syracuse$20.88$28.99$39.701002% below
Poughkeepsie$17.33$28.70$36.21803% below
Buffalo$17.66$28.00$42.831105% below
Albany$16.74$27.73$39.451106% below

Tile setter wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$29.45New York$26.77United States
Median hourly wage for tile and stone setters, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.37$33.57$17.081,900
2000$17.16$32.08$16.491,570
2001$19.74$35.88$17.021,480
2002$18.25$32.66$17.201,650
2003$19.24$33.66$17.121,400
2004$24.77$42.22$17.021,680
2005$21.07$34.73$17.562,050
2006$25.11$40.10$17.592,560
2007$25.57$39.70$18.612,880
2008$23.35$34.92$18.853,570
2009$22.49$33.75$18.833,320
2010$19.45$28.72$18.322,420
2011$20.73$29.67$17.831,940
2012$29.65$41.58$17.811,950
2013$33.68$46.55$18.062,140
2014$37.97$51.64$18.741,920
2015$32.51$44.16$18.941,840
2016$32.92$44.16$19.451,890
2017$37.20$48.86$20.042,570
2018$25.12$32.21$20.122,330
2019$24.10$30.35$20.703,500
2020$24.26$30.18$21.263,830
2021$29.44$34.98$22.995,270
2022$26.85$29.54$23.243,730
2023$15.93$16.83$23.526,190
2024$30.39$31.19$25.113,140
2025$29.45$29.45$26.772,990

In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in New York changed by -33.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for tile setters in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay tile setters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 43 of the 44 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $58.85 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $24.02). 1 of the 44 counties still use a survey rate dated 2009 or earlier (for example Yates County at $24.02). The market median for the state is $29.45.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: —Allegany: $58.85 (union)Bronx: $101.53 (union)Broome: $62.80 (union)Cattaraugus: $58.85 (union)Cayuga: $51.60 (union)Chautauqua: $58.85 (union)Chemung: —Chenango: $51.60 (union)Clinton: $58.85 (union)Columbia: $51.60 (union)Cortland: $51.60 (union)Delaware: $51.60 (union)Dutchess: —Erie: $67.65 (union)Essex: $58.85 (union)Franklin: $58.85 (union)Fulton: $58.85 (union)Genesee: $58.85 (union)Greene: $51.60 (union)Hamilton: $58.85 (union)Herkimer: —Jefferson: $49.31 (union)Kings: $101.53 (union)Lewis: $58.85 (union)Livingston: —Madison: $49.31 (union)Monroe: $64.27 (union)Montgomery: $58.85 (union)Nassau: —New York: $101.53 (union)Niagara: $52.25 (union)Oneida: $56.22 (union)Onondaga: $49.31 (union)Ontario: —Orange: —Orleans: $69.65 (union)Oswego: $49.31 (union)Otsego: $51.60 (union)Putnam: $101.53 (union)Queens: $101.53 (union)Rensselaer: —Richmond: $101.53 (union)Rockland: —St. Lawrence: $58.85 (union)Saratoga: —Schenectady: —Schoharie: —Schuyler: $58.85 (union)Seneca: $58.85 (union)Steuben: $58.85 (union)Suffolk: —Sullivan: $51.60 (union)Tioga: $62.80 (union)Tompkins: $57.85 (union)Ulster: —Warren: —Washington: —Wayne: —Westchester: $101.53 (union)Wyoming: $58.85 (union)Yates: $24.02 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$51.60$58.85$65.62n/asurvey rate
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/hrBronx (New York City): market median $29.52, prevailing (union) $101.53, gap +$72.01Bronx (New York City)+$72.01Orleans (Rochester): market median $29.67, prevailing (union) $69.65, gap +$39.98Orleans (Rochester)+$39.98Erie (Buffalo): market median $28.00, prevailing (union) $67.65, gap +$39.65Erie (Buffalo)+$39.65Broome (New York): market median $29.45, prevailing (union) $62.80, gap +$33.35Broome (New York)+$33.35Madison (Syracuse): market median $28.99, prevailing (union) $49.31, gap +$20.32Madison (Syracuse)+$20.32
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for tile setters, metro counties in New York.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BronxUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260003
KingsUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260003
New YorkUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260003
PutnamUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260025
QueensUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260003
RichmondUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260003
WestchesterUnion BRNY0052-001 2024-06-03$64.40$37.13$101.53NY20260017
OrleansUnion BRNY0003-011 2025-07-01$37.85$31.80$69.65NY20260034
ErieUnion BRNY0045-004 2025-07-01$36.85$30.80$67.65NY20260050
MonroeUnion BRNY0003-004 2025-07-01$37.45$26.82$64.27NY20260010
BroomeUnion BRNY0003-002 2025-07-01$34.34$28.46$62.80NY20260004
TiogaUnion BRNY0003-014 2025-07-01$34.34$28.46$62.80NY20260045
AlleganyUnion BRNY0002-023 2024-07-01$38.34$20.51$58.85NY20260099
CattaraugusUnion BRNY0002-023 2024-07-01$38.34$20.51$58.85NY20260100
ChautauquaUnion BRNY0002-023 2024-07-01$38.34$20.51$58.85NY20260102

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

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.0kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-08
-1.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kAug 2026
Construction employment in New York (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Tile setter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

Questions this page answers

How much do tile setters make in New York?

The median tile setter in New York earned $29.45 an hour ($61,260 a year) in May 2025, 10% above the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $24.10–$35.91; the top 10% earn more than $46.49.

Where does New York rank for tile setter pay?

New York ranks 11th of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $29.45 an hour, and 21st after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union tile setter rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for tile setters in 43 counties, with a typical package of $58.85 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many tile setters work in New York?

BLS counted 2,990 tile and stone setters in New York in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New York 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.