SOC 47-2161.00

    Plasterers and Stucco Masons

    Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials.

    Median pay
    $57,660
    Growth
    +2.8%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    1,500
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $39,560
    Median
    $57,660
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $96,710
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    19,310 people work in this occupation.

    What plasterers and stucco masons do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    9 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    26 / 100
    Social (S)
    6 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    1 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    38 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCA. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    81
    Performing General Physical Activities
    75
    Handling and Moving Objects
    72
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    68
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    68
    Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
    66
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    64
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    63
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    63
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    61
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Time Management
    • Coordination
    • Monitoring
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Service Orientation
    • Speaking
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Building and Construction
    • Administration and Management
    • Design
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Mathematics
    • Mechanical
    • Production and Processing
    • Education and Training

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Extent Flexibility
    • Trunk Strength
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Static Strength
    • Dynamic Strength
    • Oral Expression

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cautiousness
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Cooperation
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Applicator · Decorative Plasterer · Dry Plasterer · Hard Surface Plasterer · Mason Plasterer · Molding Plasterer · Ornamental Plasterer · Plaster Applicator · Plaster Mechanic · Plaster Molder

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What plasterers and stucco masons may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Licenses by state

    3 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.