Updated for 2026

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary in 2026

This Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary guide for 2026 centers on Careerclev's modeled national salary benchmark, built from the latest official BLS wage baseline and extended with wage trend history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available. It covers average salary, hourly pay, experience bands, salary by city, salary by state, industry premiums, in-demand skills, and long-term job outlook so readers can compare what drives higher compensation.

Last updated: 202620,880 employment estimateFull salary breakdown12 min read
Average Salary
$75.8K
per year (USA)
Entry Level
$52.2K
starting range
Senior Level
$97.6K
upper percentile
Top Earners
$141K+
lead / principal
Hourly Rate
$36
avg. equivalent
Salary figures projected to 2026  from May 2024BLS OEWS baseline·  Projections use wage history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available
Advertisement
Advertisement

What Does a Plasterer and Stucco Mason Earn?

Careerclev's modeled 2026 benchmark places Plasterer and Stucco Mason pay at $75,759.0 per year in the United States. On the latest official 2024 BLS wage baseline, the lower end of the Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary range starts around $38,610.0, while experienced professionals and top earners can reach $92,930.0 or more.

That national figure is only the starting point. In practice, pay for this role changes quickly once location, industry, experience level, and specialization enter the picture. A Plasterer and Stucco Mason working in Hawaii or a stronger salary industry like Government Excluding Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service may see a very different salary path than someone in a lower-cost market, especially when skills like role-specific skills and advanced tools define the role.

Key 2026 BenchmarkThe national median Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary is $75,759.0, with an estimated hourly equivalent of $36.

What Plasterer and Stucco Mason Professionals Do

Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.

Typical Responsibilities

Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
Core
Clean job sites.
Core
Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
Core
Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
Core
Set up scaffolds.
Core
Determine materials needed to complete the job and place orders accordingly.
Core
Related job titlesApplicator, Artisan Plasterer, Plaster and Stucco Worker, Plaster Applicator, Plaster Mechanic, Plasterer

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary by Experience Level

Experience is one of the strongest salary drivers for Plasterer and Stucco Mason roles. Entry-level workers usually sit closer to the lower salary band while senior, lead, and principal-level professionals move into higher ranges as they take on ownership, decision-making, mentoring, and more specialized work.

That progression matters because the headline median can hide how wide the real pay ladder is. For some roles, early-career pay stays close to the middle; for others, the gap between first-job pay and senior pay is large enough to change how attractive the path looks over time.

LevelExperienceAvg. Base SalaryEstimated Total PayGrowth vs Previous
Entry Level Plasterer and Stucco Mason0-2 years$52,201.0$54.8K - $66.7KN/A
Mid Level Plasterer and Stucco Mason3-5 years$75,732.0$69.3K - $106K+45.1%
Senior Level Plasterer and Stucco Mason6-10 years$97,640.0$85.6K - $142K+28.9%
Lead / Principal Plasterer and Stucco Mason10+ years$125,634$114K - $165K+28.7%
How to read the experience tableThe cards show the quick salary story, while the table gives a more detailed view of how Plasterer and Stucco Masonpay can move from entry-level work into senior and lead responsibility.

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary by City

City salary differences matter because Plasterer and Stucco Mason jobs are tied to local employer demand, cost of living, and industry concentration. Markets like Hawaii and Urban Honolulu, HI can pay very differently even when the job title looks the same on paper.

That is why city pages are often more useful than national averages once you are actively job searching. They show whether a stronger nominal salary comes from a genuinely better market, a more specialized employer mix, or simply a more expensive metro.

United States — City Comparison

CityProjected SalaryVs. National BenchmarkCost of Living Signal
Hawaii$99,070.0+31%High salary market
Urban Honolulu, HI$99,070.0+31%High salary market
New Jersey$94,040.0+24%High salary market
Chicago, IL$90,020.0+19%Competitive
Massachusetts$85,810.0+13%Competitive
Boston, MA$85,810.0+13%Competitive
South Carolina$84,160.0+11%Competitive
Illinois$83,020.0+10%Competitive
New York, NY$78,360.0+3%Competitive
St. Louis, MO$76,540.0+1%Competitive
City salary pictureA higher Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary in a major metro does not always mean higher take-home value. Housing, taxes, commuting, and remote-work flexibility can change the real outcome.
Advertisement

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary by Industry

Industry can change a Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary as much as geography. Employers in Government Excluding Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service may pay more when the role sits close to revenue, regulated operations, complex infrastructure, or scarce technical expertise.

IndustryProjected SalaryBonus PotentialJob SecurityGrowth Pace
Government Excluding Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service$76,310.0HighStrongFast
Government, Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service$74,670.0HighStrongFast
Administrative, Support, Waste Management, and Remediation Services$74,640.0HighStrongFast
Health Care and Social Assistance$69,600.0ModerateStrongFast
Educational Services$64,180.0ModerateStrongModerate
Manufacturing$64,110.0ModerateModerateModerate
Construction$54,820.0ModerateModerateModerate

The strongest-paying industries for Plasterer and Stucco Mason roles usually combine higher budgets with urgent business needs. Use this table to compare not only salary, but also the tradeoff between upside, stability, and long-term growth.

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary by Skill Specialization

Skills shape salary because they tell employers what kind of problems a Plasterer and Stucco Mason can solve. Strong signals around role-specific skills, advanced tools, tools, platforms, analysis, communication, and domain knowledge can help candidates move from average pay into stronger compensation bands.

Common tool stackO*NET maps Plasterer and Stucco Mason work to tools such as Microsoft Excel, Autodesk Maya, Construction Software Center EasyEst, and A-Systems JobView.
role-specific skills can raise the ceilingThe most valuable Plasterer and Stucco Mason skills are the ones connected to business-critical work, scarce tools, and hard-to-fill responsibilities. Pairing role-specific skills with advanced tools can make a candidate easier to price at the top of the salary range.

Remote vs Onsite vs Hybrid — Salary Comparison

Remote, onsite, and hybrid pay can shift the salary story for Plasterer and Stucco Mason jobs. Remote roles often widen the hiring market, while onsite roles may pay more in expensive metros when employers need local availability, team coverage, or specialized workplace access.

Work TypeAvg. BaseExperienceBenefitsFlexibility
Remote Plasterer and Stucco Mason$75,759.0Market dependentVariableHigh
Hybrid Plasterer and Stucco Mason$78,031.8Metro dependentStrongMedium
Onsite Plasterer and Stucco Mason$76,516.6Location dependentStrongLower

Hybrid roles can carry a small premium in high-cost cities, while fully remote roles can be especially powerful for workers outside the most expensive labor markets. The best comparison is total pay after location, taxes, commuting, and lifestyle costs.

Advertisement

How to Become a Plasterer and Stucco Mason

The most common path into Plasterer and Stucco Mason work is to pair the expected baseline education with early hands-on practice and proof that you can handle the core responsibilities of the role. Candidates move faster when they can connect training, projects, internships, or prior adjacent work to the exact kinds of tasks employers hire plasterer and stucco mason professionals to do.

If you want the fuller step-by-step version, open the full How to Become a Plasterer and Stucco Mason guide.

Practical shortcutThe strongest early candidates for Plasterer and Stucco Mason jobs usually show job-relevant work samples, clear fundamentals, and evidence that they can contribute with limited supervision.
Knowledge areas employers associate with this roleBuilding and Construction, Administration and Management, Design, and English Language.

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Work Environment

Work environment can shape job fit just as much as salary. For Plasterer and Stucco Mason, the day-to-day experience may vary based on employer type, digital vs on-site workflows, collaboration intensity, schedule predictability, and how much independent judgment the role requires.

Common work-style signalsO*NET highlights Dependability, Attention to Detail, Cautiousness, and Perseverance for Plasterer and Stucco Mason work.
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Entry-Level Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary Expectations

Entry-level Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary expectations should be viewed as a starting range, not a ceiling. New workers in this role often earn around $52,201.0, with pay rising as they build practical experience, stronger judgment, better tools, and a clearer track record of delivering work without close supervision.

Internship / Trainee
$25/hr
$39.2K - $60.0K annualized
Early practical exposure, supervised assignments, portfolio building, and conversion into a first full-time role.
New Grad / Junior
$52.2K
$52.2K - $63.6K base
First full-time Plasterer and Stucco Mason roles reward candidates who can show useful work, reliable fundamentals, and coachability.

Typical Promotion Timeline

Promotions usually follow the move from supervised work to independent delivery, then to broader ownership. Switching employers can sometimes accelerate salary growth when the current role has a narrow pay band.

StageTypical TimelineSalary JumpKey Milestone
Intern → JuniorInternship → first role$9.4K - $16.7KFirst full-time offer
Junior → Mid18-30 months$9.1K - $16.7KDeliver work independently
Mid → Senior2-4 years$11.7K - $21.5KOwn larger outcomes
Senior → Lead3-6 years$15.1K - $31.4KInfluence teams or strategy

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Career Progression & Salary Path

This step is useful because experience level and career progression are related, but not identical. The pay path below shows how compensation tends to widen as the work moves from narrower execution into broader ownership and leadership scope.

1
Intern / Trainee
$32.5K$43.7K
Plasterer and Stucco Mason compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
2
Junior
$40.3K$53.2K
Plasterer and Stucco Mason compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
3
Mid Level
$50.4K$62.7K
Plasterer and Stucco Mason compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
4
Senior
$60.5K$78.4K
Plasterer and Stucco Mason compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
5
Lead
$71.7K$90.8K
Plasterer and Stucco Mason compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
6
Principal / Architect
$84.0K$115K
Plasterer and Stucco Mason compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.

Factors That Affect a Plasterer and Stucco Mason's Salary

A Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary is rarely determined by job title alone. Employers also price the role based on education, certifications, tools used, industry setting, workplace responsibility, and how difficult it is to find qualified candidates with the same mix of skills.

Years of Experience
Salary usually rises as the role moves from entry-level execution to independent ownership, mentoring, and broader decision-making.
Location and Cost of Living
Local salary ranges vary by labor market, employer density, and household-income context.
Industry
Industry pay can vary when employers in higher-margin or harder-to-staff sectors compete for the same occupation.
Specialized Skills
O*NET marks high-demand role-specific skills as relevant skills for this role, making them useful anchors for specialization and salary-growth content.

Plasterer and Stucco Mason Job Demand & Market Outlook

The Plasterer and Stucco Mason job outlook matters because demand affects hiring, salary growth, and how much leverage qualified workers have. The current projection points to 4.1% employment change from 2024 to 2034, which helps explain whether employers are likely to keep competing for qualified talent.

Salary is easier to interpret when it sits next to a demand signal. Strong wages in a shrinking field can tell a very different story from strong wages in a role where openings, replacement demand, and market expansion are all still active.

BLS Employment ProjectionEmployment is projected to change by 4.1% from 2024 to 2034.
Faster than averageAnnual openings: 1.9 thousand.
Metric2026 Status
Projected employment24.2k → 25.2k
Typical educationUsually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Related experienceSome occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Remote job availabilityMeaningful for roles with portable work and digital workflows
Salary market signalMedian pay of $75,759.0 suggests a solid compensation track.

How to Increase Your Plasterer and Stucco Mason Salary

The most reliable way to increase a Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary is to make your value easier for employers to measure. That usually means building stronger evidence around outcomes, expanding into higher-value skills, moving toward better-paying industries, and negotiating with current market salary data in hand.

StrategyAvg. Salary ImpactTimelineEffort Level
Benchmark against stronger markets+15-30%1-3 monthsHigh ROI
Build a visible specialization$9.1K - $21.2K3-9 monthsMedium
Target higher-paying industries$6.1K - $13.6K2-6 monthsMedium
The fastest salary liftFor many Plasterer and Stucco Mason professionals, the fastest path is a focused mix of stronger proof, higher-value skills, and better market selection. Salary gains usually come faster when candidates combine a clear portfolio with targeted applications and negotiation.

Plasterer and Stucco Mason vs Similar Career Salaries

Comparing Plasterer and Stucco Mason salary with Elevator and Escalator Installer and Repairer and other nearby careers helps show whether this job title is underpaid, fairly priced, or part of a stronger salary path. These comparisons are useful when choosing between roles, planning a career move, or deciding which skills to build next.

Elevator and Escalator Installer and Repairer
$107K
Related role
Above baseline
Solar Energy Installation Manager
$78.7K
Related role
Above baseline
Roof Bolter
$76.6K
Related role
Above baseline
Boilermaker
$73.3K
Related role
Below baseline
Energy Auditor
$72.1K
Related role
Below baseline
Pile Driver Operator
$70.5K
Related role
Below baseline
Loading and Moving Machine Operator
$68.9K
Related role
Below baseline
Rail-track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator
$67.4K
Related role
Below baseline
Advertisement

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions usually come up after readers compare the national salary, experience bands, and city differences. Together they clarify how to read the salary data and what to pay attention to when you compare this role with nearby careers.

What is the average Plasterers & Stucco Masons salary?
The latest national baseline for Plasterers & Stucco Masons is about $56,000 per year, based on the current BLS-derived salary facts in CareerClev.
What is the entry-level Plasterers & Stucco Masons salary?
Entry-level estimates for Plasterers & Stucco Masons are modeled around the lower BLS percentile range, currently about $38,600 per year nationally.
How much can senior Plasterers & Stucco Masons professionals earn?
Senior Plasterers & Stucco Masons estimates are modeled from upper percentile wage bands and currently sit around $72,200 per year nationally.
Does location affect Plasterers & Stucco Masons salary?
Yes. CareerClev stores salary facts by national, state, and metro locations, so location-specific pages should use the closest available geography instead of a single national number.
Which skills matter for Plasterers & Stucco Masons salary growth?
CareerClev uses O*NET skill importance and level scores to identify role-relevant skills. These are useful for recommendations, but should not be presented as measured salary premiums unless enriched compensation data exists.
🔬
Data Sources & Methodology
Updated using 2024 BLS OEWS salary facts, O*NET occupation-skill data, Census location context where available, ILOSTAT country benchmarks where mapped, BLS Employment Projections where imported, and Stack Overflow Developer Survey enrichment for mapped tech roles.
Salary Anchor Ad
Salary Anchor Ad