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Tile Setter
Skilled TradesYou install tile on floors, walls, showers, and backsplashes with a precision that would impress a jeweler. You'll spend entire days on your knees, covered in thinset mortar, placing pieces that are off by 1/16th of an inch and ripping them out because you noticed. The work is backbreaking, detail-obsessed, and weirdly satisfying when the grout lines are perfect.
Salary Range
Low
$33k
Median
$48k
High
$75k
10-Year Growth
average
US Workers
73K
Education
On-the-job training or apprenticeship — portfolio matters more than diplomas
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Tile cutting (wet saw, snap cutter, angle grinder)
- ▸Thinset mortar and grout application
- ▸Substrate preparation (cement board, waterproofing membranes)
- ▸Mosaic and pattern layout
- ▸Leveling systems (clips and wedges)
- ▸Waterproofing systems (Kerdi, RedGard)
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Attention to detail
- ▸Physical stamina
- ▸Patience with precise work
- ▸Customer communication
- ▸Creative vision
What you'll actually do
- 01Mix thinset mortar to the exact consistency — too wet and it slides, too dry and nothing sticks
- 02Cut tiles with a wet saw that sprays water everywhere while you aim for millimeter accuracy
- 03Lay tile patterns that require geometry skills you never thought you'd use after high school
- 04Spend 8 hours on your knees and wonder why you didn't become an accountant
- 05Grout and seal tile installations while removing every speck of haze before it dries permanently
- 06Fix tile work done by homeowners who watched one YouTube video and got ambitious
Related Shifts
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