How much do plasterers make in Pennsylvania in 2026?

The median plasterer salary in Pennsylvania is $70,030 a year, which works out to roughly $33.67 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That figure sits squarely in the middle of what plasterers in the state actually take home — half earn more, half earn less.

The full spread tells the real story. Plasterers at the 25th percentile — typically those earlier in their careers or working in slower regional markets — earn around $62,600 a year ($30.10/hr). Workers at the 75th percentile bring in $78,200 a year ($37.60/hr). That's a $15,600 gap between the lower quarter and the upper quarter, which means experience, specialization, and geography can move the needle significantly over a career.

Experience is the single biggest lever on pay. A plasterer two or three years into the trade is most likely landing in the $62,000–$65,000 range. Once you've put in five or more years and built a reliable reputation for quality finishwork — especially on ornamental plaster, historic restoration, or high-end interior projects — you're competing for the $75,000-plus jobs. Journey-level plasterers who can read and execute complex architectural details command premium rates because those skills take years to develop and are genuinely scarce.

Pennsylvania's geography shapes pay as well. The Philadelphia metro area and its surrounding counties have a denser pipeline of commercial construction, hotel renovation, and institutional work — the kinds of projects where plaster is specified over drywall. Pittsburgh's construction market is active but smaller. Rural and central Pennsylvania tend to have lower prevailing wages and fewer large plaster contracts. If you're willing to commute into a metro market or take on travel work, you're more likely to push above the median.

Overtime matters in this trade. Plaster work runs on tight schedules — a general contractor doesn't want plaster drying delays holding up follow-on trades. When a project is behind, plasterers get called in on Saturdays and occasionally Sundays. At a base rate of $33.67/hr, overtime hours at time-and-a-half pay $50.51/hr. A worker who picks up 200 overtime hours in a year adds roughly $10,000 to their gross pay, which can push a median earner close to the 75th percentile in a strong year.

Licensing in Pennsylvania does not require a separate state plasterer's license — entry into the trade typically flows through a formal apprenticeship or on-the-job training under a licensed contractor. Apprenticeship programs blend classroom instruction on mix ratios, substrate preparation, and scratch/brown/finish coat sequencing with supervised field hours. Completing a full apprenticeship is one of the clearest documented paths to journey-level wages.

Specialty work is where pay can stretch beyond the published 75th percentile. Venetian plaster, exterior stucco on historic structures, and ornamental plaster casting all require skills that most finishers don't have. Contractors who service architects and preservation clients often pay more because finding workers who can match 19th-century profiles or apply authentic lime finishes is genuinely difficult. If you're aiming to maximize earnings, adding these competencies is a direct investment in your pay rate.

Some workers in Pennsylvania may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

Benefits vary by employer. Some plasterers work directly for large subcontractors and receive health coverage, paid time off, and retirement contributions. Others work for smaller shops where the trade-off is more varied work and sometimes higher straight-time pay with fewer benefits. Factor in the full compensation picture when comparing offers — a job paying $36/hr with no health benefits may net out worse than a $34/hr position with full family coverage.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. BLS collects data from employer payroll records, so the numbers reflect what employers actually reported paying. They do not capture unreported cash pay or income from self-employment side work, which some plasterers supplement their wages with.