Tile and Stone Setters
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
Key knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Education and Training
What the work involves
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
- Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
- Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
- Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
- Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.
- 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.
- Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
- Level concrete and allow to dry.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (48% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (34.3%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (35.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Tile and Stone Setters is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 84% of occupations compared | 51% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 80% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 83% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 85% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 72% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 99% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 97% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Higher on consequence of error than 56% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 21.62%
- Contact with others about half the time: 1.97%
- Contact with others most of the time: 50.6%
- Constant contact with others: 25.81%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 38.44%
- Fairly important: 13.32%
- Important: 19.77%
- Very important: 10.84%
- Extremely important: 17.63%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 7.88%
- Fairly important: 7.61%
- Important: 16.97%
- Very important: 36.98%
- Extremely important: 30.56%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 20.39%
- Limited freedom: 25.48%
- Some freedom: 27.61%
- A lot of freedom: 26.52%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Time pressure
- Never: 7.5%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 40.05%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 32.96%
- Every day: 19.49%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Conflict situations
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 38.56%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 9.87%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 4.57%
- Every day: 0%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 40%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 42.08%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.45%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 4.47%
- Every day: 0%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 8.56%
- Fairly serious: 11.89%
- Serious: 50.17%
- Very serious: 18.89%
- Extremely serious: 10.48%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2023
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Plasterers and Stucco Masons
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Furniture Finishers
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Glaziers
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Upholsterers
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
Closeness 93/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 47-2044.00 · SOC 47-2044 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8