How much do plasterers make in Missouri in 2026?

Missouri plasterers earned a median wage of $79,380 per year, or roughly $38.16 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data from May 2025. That's a solid baseline, but your actual pay depends on where you work in the state, who you work for, and how much experience you're bringing to the job.

The bottom quarter of plasterers in Missouri — workers at the 25th percentile — earned $73,420 annually, which works out to about $35.30 per hour. If you're newer to the trade, switching employers, or working in a slower regional market, this is a realistic starting point. It's not the floor of the trade; it's where a competent plasterer without much tenure often lands.

The top quarter — workers at the 75th percentile — earned $87,710 per year, or approximately $42.17 per hour. Plasterers at this level typically have years of experience behind them, a strong specialty skill set, and steady work with larger contractors or in higher-demand metros like Kansas City or St. Louis. That $14,290 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile tells you there's real money to be gained by stacking experience and building a reputation.

No union scale data is available for plasterers in Missouri at this time, so all figures here reflect the broader wage distribution across union and non-union workers combined.

Specialization matters a lot in this trade. Plasterers who work with ornamental or restoration plaster — the kind of detailed work you find on historic buildings in St. Louis — tend to command rates at or above the 75th percentile. Exterior stucco work, EIFS (exterior insulation and finish systems), and hard-coat fireproofing applications also carry premium rates because fewer plasterers have those certifications and hands-on hours.

Geography within Missouri moves the needle too. The Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas have larger commercial and institutional construction pipelines, which means more consistent hours and better pay than rural parts of the state. A plasterer working steady commercial jobs in a metro will almost always out-earn someone doing sporadic residential patch work in a smaller town — even if both are equally skilled.

Hours matter as much as the hourly rate. Plasterers who lock in 40-hour-plus weeks year-round will see annual income close to or above the median. Seasonal slowdowns in winter can drag that annual total down if you don't have indoor commercial work lined up.

Apprentices entering the trade in Missouri typically start below the 25th percentile and move toward the median range over two to four years as they complete their training hours. Journeyman status is where the pay picture improves most sharply, particularly for workers who pursue specialized certifications.

If you're evaluating a job offer, break down the hourly rate first. A job offering $38/hr for 40 hours a week across 52 weeks comes to $79,040 annually — right at the Missouri median. Any offer below $35.30/hr puts you below what a quarter of Missouri plasterers earn, which is a useful negotiating anchor.

TradesPays pulls from BLS OEWS data so you're working with verified, survey-based figures — not self-reported ranges. Use the numbers on this page as a benchmark when you're negotiating a new rate, comparing offers, or deciding whether to move into a specialty that pays more.