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

The median Tile & Stone Setter in Michigan earns $47,950 a year, which works out to roughly $23.05 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of tile setters in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're trying to figure out where you stand or what to aim for, that number is your baseline.

The lower end of the pay range puts entry-level or less-experienced setters at around $41,950 annually, or about $20.17 an hour. That's the 25th percentile — workers who are newer to the trade, picking up skills, or working in lower-demand markets. It's a livable wage in many parts of Michigan, but it leaves meaningful room to grow.

At the 75th percentile, tile and stone setters pull in $62,570 a year, about $30.08 an hour. That's a $20,000-plus gap between the bottom quarter and the top quarter. Workers at this level typically have years of experience behind them, strong specialization — large-format porcelain, natural stone, shower systems, custom mosaic work — and a reputation that keeps them busy.

What separates a $21-an-hour setter from a $30-an-hour setter? Mostly specialization and speed. Tile work spans a wide range of complexity. Basic ceramic floor tile in a rental property pays one rate; intricate stone work in a high-end kitchen or commercial lobby pays another. Setters who can read shop drawings, work efficiently with large-format slabs (24x48 or bigger), handle waterproofing systems like Schluter or Wedi, and troubleshoot substrate problems without callbacks are consistently at the top of the pay scale.

Geography within Michigan matters, too. The Detroit metro — Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties — concentrates the most commercial and residential tile work in the state. Grand Rapids has a growing construction market. Lansing and Flint have steadier but lower-volume demand. Rural northern Michigan has seasonal work tied to high-end vacation home construction, which can mean strong summer wages but lean winters. Setters willing to travel or take commercial projects in metro areas will generally see higher annual totals than those sticking to local residential work in smaller markets.

Overtime adds up in this trade. During busy stretches — spring through fall, or during a hot commercial build-out — tile setters frequently log 50-hour weeks. At $23.05 straight time, ten hours of weekly overtime at time-and-a-half adds roughly $346 to a paycheck. Over a 20-week busy season, that's nearly $7,000 on top of base pay. Annual figures from BLS reflect straight-time equivalent rates, so actual take-home during peak months can run higher.

Self-employment is common among experienced tile setters in Michigan. Running your own crew or taking direct contracts cuts out the middleman and can push effective hourly rates well above the 75th percentile. The tradeoff is inconsistent work volume, the overhead of tools and a vehicle, and no employer-paid benefits. Many experienced setters go independent in their 30s once they've built a reliable client base.

Apprenticeship or formal training is worth mentioning. Tile setting in Michigan doesn't require a state license the way electrical or plumbing work does, but completing a structured apprenticeship — typically two to three years combining on-the-job hours with classroom instruction — gives setters a documented skill base that employers and general contractors recognize. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) also offers the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) credential, which signals to clients and contractors that a setter meets industry installation standards. CTI-certified setters are in a stronger position to command top-of-range wages.

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

All figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. BLS surveys employers, so it tends to capture W-2 wages more reliably than self-employment income. If you work for yourself, your actual earnings may differ from these benchmarks depending on your market and workload.