Construction and Extraction
Tile and Stone Setters
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Also called: Ceramic Tile Mechanic, Ceramic Tile Setter, Tile and Marble Installer, Tile and Marble Setter, Tile Finisher, Tile Installer
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $82,230
- $39.54/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- Not published
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- Not published
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- No formal educational credential
- plus Long-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $53,930 | $78,260 | $82,230 | $95,940 | $107,110 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
- Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
- Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
- Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
- 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.
- Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure10 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 9
- Language-model AIOE 11
- GPTs-are-GPTs 10
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. Cutting, setting, and grouting tile are hands-on tasks AI tools do not do. Tools might help with pattern ideas or estimates. Federal notes say tile and natural stone are gaining share of the flooring market, which may increase demand.
Likely to change
- Planning tile layouts and patterns
- Estimating materials and writing quotes
Still relies on people
- Cutting and fitting tile around obstacles
- Spreading mortar and grouting joints by hand
What federal projections say
“Demand change - share increases as tile and natural stone continue to gain share in overall flooring market sales.”
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Cutting and fitting floor materials is familiar work. This job pays a Boston median of $98,290, projects 11.3% growth in Massachusetts, and needs no formal credential.
- Pay difference
- +$16,060 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +11.3%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Leveling, layout, and setting materials in mortar carry over directly. Masonry pays a Boston median of $96,960 through an apprenticeship.
- Pay difference
- +$14,730 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +5.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Glaziers
Using levels, plumb lines, and exact measurements carries over. Glazier work pays a Boston median of $107,610 and is learned through an apprenticeship.
- Pay difference
- +$25,380 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +4.9%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Who employs tile and stone setters on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed tile and stone setters, not who has openings.
198,051 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Tile Worker, Tile Setter).
- 9.6%
- of hours by boston residents
- 30.7%
- of hours by people of color
- 3.3%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jantile Boston, Llc | 73,213 | 1.1% | 10 |
| Select Tile | 47,333 | 10.5% | 3 |
| Allegheny Contract Flooring Corporation | 41,230 | 16.5% | 18 |
| American Floor Covering | 8,704 | 14.8% | 6 |
| N2 Floors, Llc | 7,528 | 27.4% | 8 |
| Business Interiors Acquisition Co | 5,776 | 12.4% | 6 |
| Pavilion Floors, Inc. | 2,706 | 0.0% | 3 |
| JAJ Company Inc. | 2,314 | 0.0% | 2 |
Related occupations
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Stonemasons
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Carpet Installers
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Floor Sanders and Finishers
- Furniture Finishers
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach