TL;DR

About 20,880 plasterers and stucco masons nationally earn a mean of $66,540. Employment in the series shown rose about 12% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.1% annual decline.

Key Statistics

20,880
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$66,540
Average Salary

Plasterers and Stucco Masons: what the data shows

Common questions about plasterers and stucco masons careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a plasterers and stucco masons?

Plasterers and Stucco Masons is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2161.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 20,880 workers.

What does a plasterers and stucco masons do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a plasterers and stucco masons make?

BLS national median annual wage: $56,020 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $66,540 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$43,018
25th percentile$50,059
Median (50th)$62,144
75th percentile$78,069
90th percentile$101,107

What education do you need?

For Plasterers and Stucco Masons, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).

These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Time Management, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Design, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is plasterers and stucco masons in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -14.7%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -27.2%.

Current U.S. headcount: 20,880.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do plasterers and stucco masonss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry20,88017.7%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only20,64017.5%
Construction19,59016.6%
Specialty Trade Contractors18,63015.8%
Building Finishing Contractors11,5309.8%
Drywall and Insulation Contractors10,9609.3%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Plasterers and Stucco Masons in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Plasterers and Stucco Masons workforce.

Employment Over Time

20,880 Workforce in 2023

The Plasterers and Stucco Masons workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$66,540 Average Wage

In 2023, Plasterers and Stucco Masons earned an average of $66,540.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Salary distribution for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Employment Growth Projections

-3.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

26,721 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -14.7%

22,797 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -27.2%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Plasterers and Stucco Masons and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Plasterers and Stucco Masons employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Wage Trends by Industry

1.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 8,370 employees, $64,640 avg wage
  • FL: 2,170 employees, $49,680 avg wage
  • AZ: 1,570 employees, $56,700 avg wage
  • NV: 1,230 employees, $55,440 avg wage
  • UT: 1,200 employees, $57,420 avg wage
  • NY: 830 employees, $86,480 avg wage
  • TX: 780 employees, $45,440 avg wage
  • CO: 690 employees, $58,520 avg wage
  • MO: 550 employees, $65,410 avg wage
  • NM: 350 employees, $48,920 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,310 employees, $64,300 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 1,330 employees, $57,270 avg wage
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 1,080 employees, $58,860 avg wage
  • Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 850 employees, $55,860 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 800 employees, $65,470 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 750 employees, $89,650 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 700 employees, $75,240 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 660 employees, $67,650 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 530 employees, $75,390 avg wage
  • Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL: 420 employees, $42,900 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Diversity

Demographic information on Plasterers and Stucco Masons in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Plasterers and Stucco Masons in 2023 was 20,880 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Plasterers and Stucco Masons in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Plasterers and Stucco Masons workers.

Education level distribution for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Skills

Plasterers and Stucco Masons need many skills, but most especially Time Management, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination.

Required skills for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Plasterers and Stucco Masons include Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Design, English Language, Customer and Personal Service.

Knowledge areas required for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Plasterers and Stucco Masons include Near Vision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Extent Flexibility, Trunk Strength.

Required abilities for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

Daily Activities

Plasterers and Stucco Masons spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.

Most important work activities for Plasterers and Stucco Masons.

About

Plasterers and Stucco Masons

The average yearly wage for Plasterers and Stucco Masons was $66,540 in 2023.

SOC Code

47-2161 - Plasterers and Stucco Masons

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Plasterers and Stucco Masons reports an average salary of $66,540.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 20,880 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.