Tile and Stone Setters
Also called: Tile and Marble Installer, Tile Installer, Tile Mechanic, Tile SetterApply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 25 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 9.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 82% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,800 | $37,250 to $47,560 | 260 |
| Arizona | $52,000 | $42,980 to $63,200 | 1,060 |
| Arkansas | $38,980 | $36,640 to $44,980 | 160 |
| California | $58,880 | $47,550 to $74,070 | 8,250 |
| Colorado | $57,690 | $36,190 to $71,960 | 870 |
| Connecticut | $63,150 | $49,830 to $70,510 | 230 |
| Florida | $47,280 | $38,010 to $60,610 | 4,070 |
| Georgia | $47,840 | $43,560 to $57,340 | 360 |
| Hawaii | $79,270 | $61,360 to $101,980 | 440 |
| Idaho | $47,940 | $40,970 to $56,490 | 570 |
| Illinois | $67,160 | $48,250 to $93,240 | 730 |
| Indiana | $48,450 | $42,940 to $57,540 | 540 |
| Iowa | $54,350 | $48,070 to $70,950 | 240 |
| Kansas | $54,920 | $48,880 to $61,860 | 310 |
| Kentucky | $47,380 | $42,320 to $51,500 | 180 |
| Louisiana | $44,750 | $39,450 to $47,830 | 190 |
| Maine | $70,720 | $65,160 to $91,690 | 60 |
| Maryland | $45,670 | $38,630 to $51,990 | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $81,150 | $59,190 to $95,940 | 410 |
| Michigan | $47,950 | $41,950 to $62,570 | 1,010 |
| Minnesota | $70,560 | $61,750 to $71,750 | 610 |
| Mississippi | $39,130 | $37,370 to $50,170 | 60 |
| Missouri | $60,590 | $43,390 to $74,060 | 470 |
| Montana | $58,670 | $48,320 to $62,030 | 240 |
| Nebraska | $59,350 | $48,150 to $61,230 | not published |
| Nevada | $61,200 | $49,970 to $85,430 | 1,450 |
| New Hampshire | $49,900 | $47,700 to $59,600 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $62,370 | $46,410 to $97,190 | 460 |
| New Mexico | $44,550 | $35,060 to $48,540 | 280 |
| New York | $61,260 | $50,130 to $74,690 | 2,990 |
| North Carolina | $44,650 | $39,560 to $50,660 | 680 |
| North Dakota | $42,620 | $37,440 to $61,730 | 70 |
| Ohio | $46,140 | $41,660 to $58,560 | 670 |
| Oklahoma | $44,340 | $36,190 to $53,180 | 280 |
| Oregon | $58,790 | $46,960 to $72,000 | 790 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,230 | $50,250 to $78,670 | 880 |
| Rhode Island | $49,170 | $39,660 to $59,220 | not published |
| South Carolina | $43,510 | $38,860 to $55,060 | not published |
| South Dakota | $50,640 | $48,540 to $67,830 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $43,570 | $36,550 to $47,440 | 350 |
| Texas | $47,030 | $40,100 to $55,010 | 1,260 |
| Utah | $49,340 | $43,850 to $59,170 | 1,590 |
| Vermont | $55,890 | $47,870 to $61,870 | 140 |
| Virginia | $48,880 | $38,170 to $61,910 | 750 |
| Washington | $77,920 | $63,090 to $97,350 | 660 |
| West Virginia | $50,900 | $42,500 to $55,980 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $62,680 | $57,070 to $75,760 | 410 |
Nationally: $55,690. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 25 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges. | Not published |
| Not much | Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern. | Not published |
| Not much | Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed. | Not published |
See all 25 tasks
| Not much | Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant. | Not published |
| Not much | Level concrete and allow to dry. | Not published |
| Not much | Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove and replace cracked or damaged tile. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen. | Not published |
| Not much | Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure and cut metal lath to size for walls and ceilings, using tin snips. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut tile backing to required size, using shears. | Not published |
| Not much | Install and anchor fixtures in designated positions, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Spread mastic or other adhesive base on roof deck to form base for promenade tile, using serrated spreader. | Not published |
| Not much | Assist customers in selection of tile and grout. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare cost and labor estimates, based on calculations of time and materials needed for project. | Not published |
| Not much | Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires, and brackets. | Not published |
| Not much | Brush glue onto manila paper on which design has been drawn and position tiles, finished side down, onto paper. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 25 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 25 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Determine resource needs of projects or operations |
Show all 19 activities
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Assess characteristics of land or property | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Data or a spreadsheet24%
- Math or a calculation20%
- A document or report11%
- A plan or strategy11%
- Advice or a recommendation9%
How they worked with Claude
41% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for tile and stone setters specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,251 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 7%
- 2 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Carpenters Low +3.9% 4%
- 5 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary High -0.3% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,832 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 15%
- 2 Etchers and Engravers Low -0.7% 7%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 Carpenters Low +3.9% 4%
- 5 Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +3.1% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 37% less than high school
- 48% high school
- 4% postsecondary certificate
- 11% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 17 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 35% less than high school
- 41% high school
- 15% some college
- 4% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers” · 948 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers”
2 programs: Mason/Masonry and Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 4 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Tile and Stone Setters” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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