Skilled Wages

Tile setter salary in Virginia

Median $23.50 an hour for 750 tile and stone setters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.50/hrMedian hourly wageVirginia, May data
$48,880/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$13.94 – $35.0310th to 90th percentilehourly range
750Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Tile setter pay in Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrVirginia: 10th $13.94 · 25th $18.35 · median $23.50 · 75th $29.76 · 90th $35.03Virginia$23.50$13.94$35.03United 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: Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

Virginia ranks 28th of 47 states for median tile setter pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.24). 750 tile and stone setters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$13.94 – $18.35$28,990 – $38,170roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.35 – $29.76$38,170 – $61,910the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$29.76 – $35.03$61,910 – $72,870the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Tile setter pay by metro in Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrRichmond: $24.10Richmond$24.10Washington DC: $23.65Washington DC$23.65Virginia Beach: $21.76Virginia Beach$21.76
Median hourly wage for tile and stone setters by metro area in Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Richmond$17.33$24.10$30.091203% above
Washington DC$16.00$23.65$35.914501% above
Virginia Beach$12.42$21.76$29.381607% below

Tile setter wages in Virginia over time

Virginia, 1999-2025VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30200020052010201520202025$26.77United States$23.50Virginia
Median hourly wage for tile and stone setters, Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearVirginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.07$31.05$17.08650
2000$15.25$28.51$16.49500
2001$15.34$27.89$17.02550
2002$14.15$25.32$17.20750
2003$13.34$23.34$17.12750
2004$15.01$25.58$17.021,130
2005$15.12$24.92$17.561,090
2006$16.77$26.78$17.59930
2007$17.42$27.05$18.61770
2008$16.35$24.45$18.851,100
2009$16.88$25.33$18.831,160
2010$17.38$25.66$18.321,010
2011$19.21$27.49$17.83770
2012$19.66$27.57$17.81410
2013$20.66$28.55$18.06560
2014$20.64$28.07$18.74620
2015$20.76$28.20$18.94630
2016$20.78$27.87$19.45560
2017$21.67$28.46$20.04630
2018$20.91$26.81$20.12680
2019$18.95$23.86$20.70890
2020$17.87$22.23$21.26840
2021$22.91$27.22$22.99530
2022$20.34$22.38$23.24680
2023$21.98$23.22$23.52540
2024$19.96$20.49$25.11570
2025$23.50$23.50$26.77750

In today's dollars, the median tile setter wage in Virginia changed by -16.7% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for tile setters in Virginia

On federally funded construction in Virginia, contractors must pay tile setters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 1 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $48.54 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $38.05). 57 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Albemarle County at $38.05). The market median for the state is $23.50.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, VAAccomack: —Albemarle: $38.05 (survey)Alleghany: —Amelia: $38.05 (survey)Amherst: $38.05 (survey)Appomattox: $38.05 (survey)Arlington: $38.05 (survey)Augusta: $38.05 (survey)Bath: —Bedford: $38.05 (survey)Bland: —Botetourt: $38.05 (survey)Brunswick: —Buchanan: —Buckingham: $38.05 (survey)Campbell: $38.05 (survey)Caroline: $38.05 (survey)Carroll: —Charles City: $38.05 (survey)Charlotte: —Chesterfield: $38.05 (survey)Clarke: $38.05 (survey)Craig: $38.05 (survey)Culpeper: $38.05 (survey)Cumberland: —Dickenson: —Dinwiddie: $38.05 (survey)Essex: —Fairfax: $48.54 (union)Fauquier: $38.05 (survey)Floyd: $38.05 (survey)Fluvanna: $38.05 (survey)Franklin: $38.05 (survey)Frederick: $38.05 (survey)Giles: $38.05 (survey)Gloucester: $38.05 (survey)Goochland: $38.05 (survey)Grayson: —Greene: $38.05 (survey)Greensville: —Halifax: —Hanover: $38.05 (survey)Henrico: $38.05 (survey)Henry: —Highland: —Isle of Wight: $38.05 (survey)James City: $38.05 (survey)King and Queen: —King George: —King William: $38.05 (survey)Lancaster: —Lee: —Loudoun: $38.05 (survey)Louisa: —Lunenburg: —Madison: —Mathews: $38.05 (survey)Mecklenburg: —Middlesex: —Montgomery: $38.05 (survey)Nelson: $38.05 (survey)New Kent: $38.05 (survey)Northampton: —Northumberland: —Nottoway: —Orange: —Page: —Patrick: —Pittsylvania: —Powhatan: $38.05 (survey)Prince Edward: —Prince George: $38.05 (survey)Prince William: $38.05 (survey)Pulaski: $38.05 (survey)Rappahannock: $38.05 (survey)Richmond: —Roanoke: $38.05 (survey)Rockbridge: —Rockingham: $38.05 (survey)Russell: —Scott: $38.05 (survey)Shenandoah: —Smyth: —Southampton: —Spotsylvania: $38.05 (survey)Stafford: $38.05 (survey)Surry: —Sussex: $38.05 (survey)Tazewell: —Warren: $38.05 (survey)Washington: $38.05 (survey)Westmoreland: —Wise: —Wythe: —York: $38.05 (survey)Alexandria: —Bristol: —Buena Vista: —Charlottesville: —Chesapeake: $38.05 (survey)Colonial Heights: —Covington: —Danville: —Emporia: —Fairfax: —Falls Church: —Franklin: —Fredericksburg: —Galax: —Hampton: $38.05 (survey)Harrisonburg: —Hopewell: —Lexington: —Lynchburg: —Manassas: —Manassas Park: —Martinsville: —Newport News: $38.05 (survey)Norfolk: $38.05 (survey)Norton: —Petersburg: —Poquoson: —Portsmouth: $38.05 (survey)Radford: —Richmond: —Roanoke: —Salem: —Staunton: —Suffolk: $38.05 (survey)Virginia Beach: $38.05 (survey)Waynesboro: —Williamsburg: —Winchester: —Union / prevailing package, $/hrn/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)Prevailing (survey)$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrFairfax (Washington DC): market median $23.65, prevailing (union) $48.54, gap +$24.89Fairfax (Washington DC)+$24.89Gloucester (Virginia Beach): market median $21.76, prevailing (survey) $38.05, gap +$16.29Gloucester (Virginia Beach)+$16.29Albemarle (Virginia): market median $23.50, prevailing (survey) $38.05, gap +$14.55Albemarle (Virginia)+$14.55Amelia (Richmond): market median $24.10, prevailing (survey) $38.05, gap +$13.95Amelia (Richmond)+$13.95
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for tile setters, metro counties in Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
FairfaxUnion BRVA0001-010 2025-04-27$34.34$14.20$48.54VA20260178
AlbemarleSurvey SUVA2013-023 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260011
AmeliaSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260170
AmherstSurvey SUVA2013-057 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260171
AppomattoxSurvey SUVA2013-024 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260012
ArlingtonSurvey SUVA2013-025 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260013
AugustaSurvey SUVA2013-026 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260014
BedfordSurvey SUVA2013-057 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260171
BotetourtSurvey SUVA2013-059 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260172
BuckinghamSurvey SUVA2013-060 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260173
CampbellSurvey SUVA2013-057 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260171
CarolineSurvey SUVA2013-028 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260015
Charles CitySurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260170
ChesterfieldSurvey SUVA2013-031 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260017
ClarkeSurvey SUVA2013-032 2016-01-11$27.80$10.25$38.05VA20260018

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

Is construction work growing in Virginia?

231.3kConstruction jobsVirginia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025231kAug 2026
Construction employment in Virginia (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Tile setter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do tile setters make in Virginia?

The median tile setter in Virginia earned $23.50 an hour ($48,880 a year) in May 2025, 12% below the national median of $26.77. The middle half earn $18.35–$29.76; the top 10% earn more than $35.03.

Where does Virginia rank for tile setter pay?

Virginia ranks 28th of 47 states for tile setter pay, with a median of $23.50 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 101.1, US = 100).

What is the union tile setter rate in Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for tile setters in 1 counties, with a typical package of $48.54 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many tile setters work in Virginia?

BLS counted 750 tile and stone setters in Virginia in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.79; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Virginia 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.