Plasterers and Stucco Masons
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-2161.00United States
Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.
- Median annual earnings
- $56,013
- Projected change
- +2.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 24.32K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
95.8% of the workforce
Growing to 24.86K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What plasterers and stucco masons do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
- Clean job sites.
- Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
- Set up scaffolds.
- Determine materials needed to complete the job and place orders accordingly.
- Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
- Apply weatherproof, decorative coverings to exterior surfaces of buildings, such as by troweling or spraying on coats of stucco.
- Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
- Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones.
- Apply insulation to building exteriors by installing prefabricated insulation systems over existing walls or by covering the outer wall with insulation board, reinforcing mesh, and a base coat.
- Rough the undercoat surface with a scratcher so the finish coat will adhere.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $36,269
- 25th percentile
- $45,692
- 50th percentile
- $56,013
- 75th percentile
- $73,939
- 90th percentile
- $105,672
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $56,013 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+2.2%average or slower
202524,320 jobs
2035 projected24,864 jobs
544 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 95.8%
- Certificate
- 2.8%
- Associate degree
- 1.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Plasterers132 postings
- 02Painters102 postings
- 03Subcontractors80 postings
- 04Laborers51 postings
- 05Masonry Contractors51 postings
- 06Landscape Installers37 postings
- 07Experienced Auditors26 postings
- 08Installers25 postings
- 09Skilled Laborers25 postings
- 10Hospitality Workers24 postings
- 11Masonry Laborers24 postings
- 12Utility Workers20 postings
- 13Framers18 postings
- 14Siding Installers17 postings
- 15Remodelers16 postings
- 16Contractors15 postings
- 17Skilled Tradesmen15 postings
- 18Demolition Workers14 postings
- 19Landscape Laborers14 postings
- 20Chimney Sweeps13 postings
Top employers
- 01New York City16 postings
- 02Austin Industrial15 postings
- 03Nyc Housing Authority14 postings
- 04PALA Interstate12 postings
- 05Student Conservation Association12 postings
- 06Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers8 postings
- 07Pala Group Bv8 postings
- 08Anning-Johnson Company7 postings
- 09Grapetree Medical Staffing7 postings
- 10Chimney Sweep6 postings
- 11Conservation Legacy6 postings
- 12Draco Painting6 postings
- 13Jefferson County Public Schools6 postings
- 14Orange6 postings
- 15Aerotek5 postings
- 16Golfland Entertainment Centers5 postings
- 17Moi Field Services5 postings
- 18Advanced Exteriors4 postings
- 19American National Insulation4 postings
- 20Garneau Construction4 postings
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