How much do tile & stone setters make in California in 2026?

The median tile and stone setter in California earns $58,880 a year, which works out to roughly $28.31 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits in the middle of the range — half of all setters in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're trying to figure out where you stand or what to aim for, start with that figure as your benchmark.

The lower end of the pay scale — the 25th percentile — comes in at $47,550 annually, or about $22.86 an hour. Workers at this level are typically earlier in their careers, working for smaller contractors, or operating in lower-cost regions of the state. It's not a ceiling; it's a starting point for many.

At the 75th percentile, pay reaches $74,070 a year, roughly $35.61 an hour. Getting there usually means a combination of years on the job, specialization in higher-end materials or complex installations, and working in markets where clients pay premium rates — commercial builds, high-end residential, hospitality projects, and institutional work all tend to pay better than basic residential remodels.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is significant: $26,520 a year. That's not noise — that's the real difference that experience, skills, and job selection make in this trade. A setter who starts at the bottom of the range and builds toward the top over a career is talking about a raise of more than $12 an hour, without ever leaving the trade.

California's size works both for and against tile setters depending on where they're based. The San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles metro, and San Diego routinely generate strong demand for tile and stone work, both commercial and high-end residential. Interior regions — the Central Valley, for instance — tend to see lower prevailing wages, which pulls down the state median even when coastal markets are hot. A setter working in San Jose or Santa Monica is almost certainly earning above the statewide median; one working in Fresno or Bakersfield may be closer to the 25th percentile, even with comparable skills.

Overtime matters in this trade. Tile and stone setters frequently work heavy schedules during peak construction seasons or when a job is on deadline. California law requires overtime pay after 8 hours in a single workday (not just 40 hours in a week), so setters working 10-hour days 5 days a week accumulate a meaningful amount of premium pay. Forty hours of overtime per year at 1.5x the median hourly rate adds roughly $2,120 to annual earnings — and many setters log far more than that on active job sites.

Some tile and stone setters in California work under collective bargaining agreements. The BLS data reflected here covers all wage-and-salary workers in the occupation regardless of union status. If you're working under a union contract, your actual scale, benefits, and working conditions are governed by your local's collective bargaining agreement — check that agreement directly for the numbers that apply to you.

Apprenticeship programs are the most common formal path into the trade in California. A typical apprenticeship runs three to four years and combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction in setting methods, material properties, waterproofing, layout, and substrate preparation. Pay during apprenticeship is usually set as a percentage of journeyman scale and steps up as you advance. Completing an apprenticeship moves a setter from entry-level wages toward the median or above, and gives employers documented proof of competency — both of which translate to better pay.

Specialization is one of the fastest ways to move toward the 75th percentile. Large-format tile, natural stone (marble, travertine, quartzite), complex mosaic work, and steam room or pool tile installations all require skills that not every setter has. Contractors who can handle those jobs credibly can charge more, and they pass some of that premium to the workers who make it possible. Similarly, setters who can read plans, supervise a small crew, and coordinate with other trades on a job site become more valuable over time and tend to earn above the median.

The BLS OEWS figures used here are based on May 2025 survey data covering wage-and-salary employees. Self-employed setters — sole proprietors running their own tile businesses — are not captured in this data. Independent contractors who bill by the job often earn more per hour than the BLS figures suggest, but they also carry overhead, supply their own tools, and take on the risk of finding their own work. The median here reflects the employed workforce, not the full picture of what the trade pays.

All pay data on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025.