Tile and marble setters: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Tile and marble setters install ceramic and marble tile. Tile installers, sometimes called tile setters, cut and place tile. To cut tiles, workers use wet saws, tile scribes, or handheld tile cutters to create even edges. They use trowels of different sizes to spread mortar or a sticky paste, called mastic, evenly on the surface to be tiled. To minimize imperfections and keep rows even, they put spacers between tiles. Spacers keep tiles the same distance from each other until the mortar is dry. Tile finishers apply grout between tiles after the tiles are set, using a rubber trowel called a float. When the grout dries, they must wipe the tiles for a clean, finished look. Marble setters cut marble to a specified size with a wet saw. After fastening the stone, marble setters polish the marble to a high luster, using hand or power sanders.
- Education Required
- There are no specific education requirements for someone to become a flooring installer or tile and marble setter. A high school diploma or equivalent is preferred for those entering an apprenticeship program.
- Training Required
- Flooring installers and tile and marble setters typically learn their duties through on-the-job training, working with experienced installers. Although workers may enter training directly, many start out as helpers.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 10% (Faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Median pay: How much do Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters make?
- $39,150 Annual Salary
- $18.82 per hour
Careers for Flooring Installers and Tile and Marble Setters
- Apprentice hard tile installers
- Apprentice tile setters
- Carpet installers
- Carpet layers
- Carpet tile installers
- Ceramic tile installers
- Ceramic tile mechanics
- Commercial carpet installers
- Composition floor layers
- Cork floor installers
- Floor finishers
- Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Floor refinishers
- Floor sanders
- Floor sanders and finishers
- Floor sanding machine operators
- Floor scrapers
- Hard tile setters
- Hardwood finishers
- Laminate floor installers
- Linoleum installers
- Marble ceiling installers
- Marble installers
- Marble setters
- Mosaic floor layers
- Parquet floor layers
- Residential carpet installers
- Resilient tile installers
- Shock-absorption floor layers
- Tile applicators
- Tile finishers
- Tile installers
- Tile masons
- Tilesetters
- Vinyl flooring installers
- Vinyl installers
- Wall-to-wall carpet installers
- Wood tile installers