Construction & Extraction
Plasterers and Stucco Masons
Also called: Applicator, Ornamental Plasterer, Plaster Applicator, Plaster Mechanic
US median pay
$57,660
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.8%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,500
22,900 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.
What they do day to day
- Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
- Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
- Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
- Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones.
- Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
- Clean job sites.
- Rough the undercoat surface with a scratcher so the finish coat will adhere.
- Set up scaffolds.
- Cure freshly plastered surfaces.
- Apply weatherproof, decorative coverings to exterior surfaces of buildings, such as by troweling or spraying on coats of stucco.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Time Management3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
- Service Orientation2.9/5
- Operations Monitoring2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Operation and Control2.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
Knowledge
- Building and Construction4.1/5
- Administration and Management3.2/5
- Design3.2/5
- English Language3.1/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.0/5
- Public Safety and Security3.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): No formal educational credential.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Less than high school68%
- High school diploma28%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.