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

The median tile and stone setter in Ohio earns $46,140 a year, which works out to about $22.18 an hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Ohio's tile setters earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a slower market, the 25th percentile sits at $41,660 annually, or roughly $20.03 an hour. Experienced setters with strong commercial books or specialty stone work land at the 75th percentile: $58,560 a year, about $28.15 an hour. The spread between the bottom quartile and the top is over $16,900, which tells you there's real room to grow in this trade.

The gap between entry-level and experienced pay in this trade comes down to a handful of concrete factors. Speed matters — tile setting is a production trade, and a setter who can lay a commercial floor efficiently is worth more per hour to a contractor than one who still struggles with layout. Specialty work matters even more. Large-format porcelain, natural stone, Schluter systems, waterproofing membranes, and steam shower installations all command higher rates than standard ceramic floor tile. If you're only doing basic residential bathroom work, you're competing on price. If you can handle complex mosaic installations, natural marble with tight grout joints, or large commercial restroom packages, contractors will pay to keep you.

Geography inside Ohio moves the numbers too. The Columbus metro has seen sustained commercial construction activity, and tile setters working on hotel, healthcare, and mixed-use projects there tend to see steadier hours and stronger pay than those working purely residential in smaller markets. Cleveland and Cincinnati also have active commercial tile markets. Rural Ohio and smaller cities generally have lower project volume and more price-sensitive general contractors, which tends to compress wages on the lower end.

Overtime is a real earnings lever in this trade. Many tile setters work 50- to 55-hour weeks during peak construction season — spring through fall. A setter earning the median $22.18 straight time who picks up 10 hours of overtime per week at time-and-a-half ($33.27/hr) adds roughly $13,308 to annual income over a 40-week busy season. That's the difference between median and 75th-percentile territory without a single pay raise.

Apprenticeship is the standard path into tile setting, typically running three to four years and combining on-the-job hours with classroom instruction covering layout, substrate preparation, setting materials, and waterproofing. Completing a formal apprenticeship generally puts a setter above the 25th percentile from the start, because contractors know the graduate can handle a broader range of work without constant supervision.

Licensing requirements for tile setters in Ohio are relatively limited at the individual level — most licensing obligations fall on the contractor of record. That means your earnings depend more on demonstrated skill and reputation than on credential hurdles. Building a portfolio of completed commercial and specialty projects, getting comfortable with installation standards like ANSI A108 and the TCNA Handbook, and being able to read architectural tile drawings all separate the setters who get called first from those who fill in gaps.

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. BLS data covers straight-time wages reported by employers and does not capture overtime, per diem, or benefits. Your actual take-home will vary based on hours worked, employer, and the mix of residential versus commercial projects on your schedule.