How much do plasterers make in Washington in 2026?

The median plasterer in Washington earns $51,840 a year, which works out to about $24.92 an hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the range — half of plasterers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a slower market, the 25th percentile puts you at $48,370 annually, or roughly $23.25 an hour. Experienced workers and those in higher-demand areas land at the 75th percentile, pulling in $58,860 a year — about $28.30 an hour. The spread from bottom quartile to top quartile is just over $10,000 annually, which tells you there's meaningful room to grow without having to change trades entirely.

These numbers come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. They reflect actual wages reported by employers across Washington state, not self-reported estimates or job postings.

Plastering is a specialized finish trade. The work includes applying plaster, stucco, and similar materials to interior and exterior walls, ceilings, and partitions. In Washington, you'll find plasterers working on historic restoration projects, high-end residential builds, and commercial construction that spec out traditional or decorative finishes. That kind of specialty work — ornamental plaster, Venetian plaster, EIFS systems — generally commands wages toward the upper end of the range. Straight patch-and-repair work or production stucco on tract housing typically pays closer to the median or below.

Geography matters inside the state. The Seattle metro and surrounding King County corridor have higher costs of living and more active commercial construction pipelines than rural eastern Washington. Plasterers working in the Puget Sound region tend to sit higher in the wage distribution than those working in Spokane, Yakima, or smaller markets. That said, lower cost-of-living areas can offset some of the wage gap when it comes to purchasing power.

Experience and versatility are the two biggest levers a plasterer has on their own pay. A worker who can handle multiple systems — three-coat plaster, one-coat stucco, EIFS, and ornamental work — is harder to replace and can negotiate accordingly. Foremen and lead plasterers in commercial shops often clear the 75th percentile mark. Apprentices and helpers working under journeyman supervision typically come in below the 25th percentile while they're building hours.

No union scale data was available for plasterers in Washington at the time of publication. In unionized shops, plasterers typically work under collective bargaining agreements that set minimum hourly rates, overtime rules, and benefit contributions separately from the BLS wage figures shown here. If you're considering a union apprenticeship or already working under a CBA, check directly with your local for current scale rates.

Benefits are a real part of total compensation that the wage figures don't capture. Employer contributions to health insurance, pension or retirement plans, and paid leave can add several dollars per effective hour of pay — especially on prevailing wage jobs tied to public construction projects. Factor those in when comparing offers or evaluating whether a job change makes financial sense.

Washington does not have a state-specific licensing requirement exclusively for plasterers, but contractors employing plasterers must hold the appropriate general contractor or specialty contractor license through the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Workers on public works projects are subject to prevailing wage requirements under state law, and those rates are set by the L&I and can differ — sometimes significantly — from the BLS figures here, which cover all employers across the state.

Bottom line: a journeyman plasterer in Washington can reasonably expect to land between $23 and $28 an hour depending on experience, location, and the type of work they're doing. The median of $24.92 is a solid reference point for anyone benchmarking a job offer or deciding whether it's time to ask for a raise.