Skilled Wages

Tile setter salary in Pennsylvania

Median $33.77 an hour for 880 tile setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$33.77/hrMedian hourly wagePennsylvania, May data
$70,230/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.30 – $46.6210th to 90th percentilehourly range
880Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Tile setter pay in Pennsylvania: the full range

Wage percentiles, PennsylvaniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrPennsylvania: 10th $21.30 · 25th $24.16 · median $33.77 · 75th $37.82 · 90th $46.62Pennsylvania$33.77$21.30$46.62United 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: Pennsylvania vs United States, May 2025.

Pennsylvania ranks 6th of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 5th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.60). 880 tile setters work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.2× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.30 – $24.16$44,300 – $50,250roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$24.16 – $37.82$50,250 – $78,670the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$37.82 – $46.62$78,670 – $96,980the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Tile setter pay by metro in Pennsylvania

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPhiladelphia: $34.01Philadelphia$34.01Lancaster: $31.79Lancaster$31.79Pittsburgh: $31.61Pittsburgh$31.61Allentown: $24.71Allentown$24.71
Median hourly wage for tile setters by metro area in Pennsylvania, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$19.37$34.01$33.15$46.923901% above
Lancaster$21.58$31.79$32.34$47.35506% below
Pittsburgh$21.11$31.61$33.38$38.922306% below
Allentown$19.11$24.71$24.71$49.438027% below

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

Tile setter wages in Pennsylvania over time

Pennsylvania, 1999-2025PennsylvaniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$33.77Pennsylvania$26.77United States
Median hourly wage for tile setters, Pennsylvania vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearPennsylvania $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$21.91$42.34$17.08470
2000$21.77$40.70$16.49950
2001$18.66$33.92$17.02860
2002$19.29$34.52$17.20—
2003$19.58$34.26$17.12—
2004$19.83$33.80$17.02990
2005$19.77$32.59$17.56960
2006$20.06$32.03$17.591,280
2007$20.01$31.07$18.611,210
2008$21.08$31.52$18.851,180
2009$20.09$30.15$18.83780
2010$19.52$28.82$18.32750
2011$20.40$29.20$17.83710
2012$20.81$29.18$17.81620
2013$20.96$28.97$18.06650
2014$19.10$25.97$18.74840
2015$18.87$25.63$18.941,010
2016$19.64$26.34$19.451,060
2017$22.44$29.47$20.041,060
2018$23.25$29.81$20.121,030
2019$22.16$27.91$20.70990
2020$24.17$30.07$21.26860
2021$27.49$32.66$22.99720
2022$24.53$26.98$23.24830
2023$24.86$26.27$23.52700
2024$28.37$29.12$25.11600
2025$33.77$33.77$26.77880

In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in Pennsylvania changed by +31.8% over the last ten years of data and by +21.0% since 2019.

Are there more tile setter jobs in Pennsylvania?

0.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.6× the US share, 24th of 44 states

BLS counted 880 tile setters in Pennsylvania in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 19%. 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 Pennsylvania

+10.1%Projected growth in Pennsylvania2024–2034, state agency
60Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
780Jobs in 2024860 projected for 2034
+9.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Pennsylvania's labor market agency projects the number of tile setters in the state to change by +10.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 780 to 860, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +9.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 880 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for tile setters in Pennsylvania

On federally funded construction in Pennsylvania, contractors must pay tile setters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 59 of the 67 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $57.27 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $36.01). 8 of the 67 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Adams County at $35.93). The market median for the state is $33.77.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, PAAdams: $35.93 (survey)Allegheny: $57.27 (union)Armstrong: $57.27 (union)Beaver: $57.27 (union)Bedford: $57.27 (union)Berks: $81.38 (union)Blair: $57.27 (union)Bradford: $57.27 (union)Bucks: $81.38 (union)Butler: $57.27 (union)Cambria: $57.27 (union)Cameron: $57.27 (union)Carbon: $52.23 (union)Centre: $57.27 (union)Chester: $81.38 (union)Clarion: $57.27 (union)Clearfield: $57.27 (union)Clinton: $57.27 (union)Columbia: $50.41 (union)Crawford: $57.27 (union)Cumberland: $36.09 (survey)Dauphin: $36.09 (survey)Delaware: $81.38 (union)Elk: $57.27 (union)Erie: $57.27 (union)Fayette: $57.27 (union)Forest: $57.27 (union)Franklin: $35.93 (survey)Fulton: $57.27 (union)Greene: $57.27 (union)Huntingdon: $57.27 (union)Indiana: $57.27 (union)Jefferson: $57.27 (union)Juniata: $57.27 (union)Lackawanna: $51.65 (union)Lancaster: $38.86 (survey)Lawrence: $57.27 (union)Lebanon: $35.93 (survey)Lehigh: $52.23 (union)Luzerne: $51.65 (union)Lycoming: $50.41 (union)McKean: $57.27 (union)Mercer: $57.27 (union)Mifflin: $57.27 (union)Monroe: $52.23 (union)Montgomery: $81.38 (union)Montour: $50.41 (union)Northampton: $52.23 (union)Northumberland: $57.27 (union)Perry: $36.09 (survey)Philadelphia: $81.38 (union)Pike: $51.65 (union)Potter: $57.27 (union)Schuylkill: $57.27 (union)Snyder: $57.27 (union)Somerset: $57.27 (union)Sullivan: $57.27 (union)Susquehanna: $57.27 (union)Tioga: $57.27 (union)Union: $57.27 (union)Venango: $57.27 (union)Warren: $57.27 (union)Washington: $57.27 (union)Wayne: $57.27 (union)Westmoreland: $57.27 (union)Wyoming: $51.65 (union)York: $35.01 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$51.65$57.27survey 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)Prevailing (survey)$20$40$60$80$100/hrBerks (Pennsylvania): market median $33.77, prevailing (union) $81.38, gap +$47.61Berks (Pennsylvania)+$47.61Bucks (Philadelphia): market median $34.01, prevailing (union) $81.38, gap +$47.37Bucks (Philadelphia)+$47.37Carbon (Allentown): market median $24.71, prevailing (union) $52.23, gap +$27.52Carbon (Allentown)+$27.52Allegheny (Pittsburgh): market median $31.61, prevailing (union) $57.27, gap +$25.66Allegheny (Pittsburgh)+$25.66Lancaster (Lancaster): market median $31.79, prevailing (survey) $38.86, gap +$7.07Lancaster (Lancaster)+$7.07
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for tile setters, metro counties in Pennsylvania.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BerksUnion BRPA0001-017 2024-05-01$51.36$30.02$81.38PA20260076
BucksUnion BRPA0001-017 2024-05-01$51.36$30.02$81.38PA20260078
ChesterUnion BRPA0001-017 2024-05-01$51.36$30.02$81.38PA20260083
DelawareUnion BRPA0001-017 2024-05-01$51.36$30.02$81.38PA20260087
MontgomeryUnion BRPA0001-017 2024-05-01$51.36$30.02$81.38PA20260099
PhiladelphiaUnion BRPA0001-008 2024-05-01$51.36$30.02$81.38PA20260003
AlleghenyUnion BRPA0009-061 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260001
ArmstrongUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260074
BeaverUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260075
BedfordUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260043
BlairUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260077
BradfordUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260044
ButlerUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260079
CambriaUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260080
CameronUnion BRPA0009-011 2022-12-01$35.64$21.63$57.27PA20260045

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

Is construction work growing in Pennsylvania?

272.0kConstruction jobsPennsylvania, 2026-09
-0.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025272kSep 2026
Construction employment in Pennsylvania (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Tile setter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Pennsylvania

More on Pennsylvania

Questions this page answers

How much do tile setters make in Pennsylvania?

The median tile setter in Pennsylvania earned $33.77 an hour ($70,230 a year) in May 2025, 26% above the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $24.16–$37.82; the top 10% earn more than $46.62.

Where does Pennsylvania rank for tile setter pay?

Pennsylvania ranks 6th of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $33.77 an hour, and 5th after adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.6, US = 100).

What is the union tile setter rate in Pennsylvania?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for tile setters in 59 counties, with a typical package of $57.27 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many tile setters work in Pennsylvania?

BLS counted 880 tile setters in Pennsylvania in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.63; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is tile setter work growing in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania's labor market agency projects +10.1% growth for tile setters between 2024 and 2034, from 780 to 860 jobs.

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

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