How much do tile & stone setters make in New York in 2026?

Tile and Stone Setters in New York earn a median wage of $61,260 per year, which works out to roughly $29.45 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That sits comfortably above the national median for the trade, reflecting the high cost of doing business in New York and the consistent demand for finish work on residential, commercial, and institutional projects across the state.

The bottom quarter of earners — those at the 25th percentile — take home around $50,130 annually, or about $24.10 per hour. These are typically workers newer to the trade, those doing primarily residential repair and replacement work, or setters in less densely populated parts of the state where project volume and competition for labor are lower.

The top quarter clears $74,690 per year or more, equivalent to roughly $35.91 per hour. Setters at this level generally bring a combination of years on the job, specialty skills, and the ability to work on high-end or complex installations — large-format porcelain, natural stone slabs, intricate mosaic work, or technically demanding wet areas like pools and steam rooms.

New York City and its metro area are the primary drivers of higher wages in this trade statewide. Dense construction activity, higher material costs, and the expectation of precision finish work on luxury residential and commercial builds push pay upward. A setter working in Manhattan or the outer boroughs on a high-end hotel or condo project is likely pulling wages closer to or above the 75th percentile. A setter doing tract-home bathrooms upstate will be closer to the lower end of the range.

No union scale data is currently available for Tile and Stone Setters in New York through TradesPays. In practice, union membership can influence wages significantly in this state — New York has one of the stronger union presences in construction trades nationally. If you are working under a collective bargaining agreement, your actual rate may differ from these BLS figures, which capture union and non-union workers together.

Hours and income consistency are worth factoring in alongside the hourly rate. Tile and Stone Setters are often employed on a project basis, and slow seasons or gaps between contracts can affect annualized earnings. The BLS figures reflect wages paid to workers during the survey period and do not account for periods of unemployment or reduced hours between jobs.

Experience level, specialty certifications, and the ability to read detailed architectural drawings and work from custom layouts all contribute to where a setter lands in this pay range. Setters who can handle large commercial tile installations requiring laser leveling, heated floor system integration, or Schluter-system waterproofing tend to command more per hour than those limited to standard residential floor and wall work.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. Hourly rates are derived by dividing the annual figures by 2,080 hours.