Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Tile and Stone Setters
Occupation · SOC 47-2044.00
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Also called: Tile Installer · Tile Mechanic · Tile Setter · Tile and Marble Installer · Ceramic Tile Mechanic · Ceramic Tile Setter · Tile Finisher · Tile Man · Tile Mason · Tile and Marble Setter · Acoustical Carpenter · Acoustical Installer
Job family: Construction and Extraction Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-47-2044-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Growing fast employment outlook (+10.1% by 2034)
- 4,200 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $52,240/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (61st); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (13th)
13th-percentile task overlap — yet about 4,200 openings a year (+10.1% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 10th | -1.2 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 20th | 0.2 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 19th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.2). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.8 · 61st percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed. | 0.8% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +10.1% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 4,200 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 52,600 → 58,000 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Tile and Stone Setters sits at the 3rd percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
10% mean task exposure (2025)
3rd percentile of 427 placed occupations
+0 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Floor Layers and Tile Setters · 7122 | 10% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges. Core · importance 4.7
- Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge. Core · importance 4.5
- Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools. Core · importance 4.5
- Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern. Core · importance 4.4
- Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed. Core · importance 4.4
- Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints. Core · importance 4.3
- Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs. Core · importance 4.3
- Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base. Core · importance 4.3
- Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints. Core · importance 4.2
- Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant. Core · importance 4.2
- Level concrete and allow to dry. Core · importance 4.1
- Measure and cut metal lath to size for walls and ceilings, using tin snips. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Install and anchor fixtures in designated positions, using hand tools. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen. Core · importance 4.0
- Spread mastic or other adhesive base on roof deck to form base for promenade tile, using serrated spreader. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Assist customers in selection of tile and grout. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Remove and replace cracked or damaged tile. Core · importance 4.0
- Prepare cost and labor estimates, based on calculations of time and materials needed for project. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Cut tile backing to required size, using shears. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Brush glue onto manila paper on which design has been drawn and position tiles, finished side down, onto paper. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully. Core · importance 3.9
- Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units. Core · importance 3.8
- Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires, and brackets. Supplemental · importance 3.2
Work activities
- Align masonry materials.
- Determine construction project layouts.
- Cut tile, stone, or other masonry materials.
- Remove excess materials from finished construction projects.
- Install masonry materials.
- Apply adhesives to construction materials.
- Apply mortar.
- Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities.
- Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures.
- Estimate construction project costs.
- Estimate construction project labor requirements.
- Measure work site dimensions.
- Mark reference points on construction materials.
- Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
- Estimate materials requirements for projects.
- Smooth surfaces with abrasive materials or tools.
- Install building fixtures.
- Cut carpet, vinyl or other flexible materials.
- Clean surfaces in preparation for work activities.
- Remove worn, damaged or outdated materials from work areas.
- Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.
- Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.
- Cut metal components for installation.
- Select construction materials.
- Order construction or extraction materials or equipment.
- Apply sealants or other protective coatings.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Building and Construction | 4.0 | |
| Mathematics | 3.4 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.0 | |
| Design | 3.0 |
Abilities
| Visualization | 3.8 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.5 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.4 | |
| Trunk Strength | 3.4 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.1 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.1 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.1 | |
| Static Strength | 3.1 | |
| Stamina | 3.1 | |
| Far Vision | 3.1 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.0 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Control Precision | 3.0 | |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.0 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.0 | |
| Written Comprehension | 2.9 | |
| Selective Attention | 2.9 | |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.9 | |
| Originality | 2.8 |
Essential skills
| Active Listening | 3.1 | |
| Speaking | 3.0 | |
| Mathematics | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 | |
| Monitoring | 2.8 |
Transferable skills
| Coordination | 3.0 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Salesforce software | Customer relationship management CRM software | Hot technology |
| Aya Associates Comp-U-Floor | Data base user interface and query software | |
| EasyCAD Iris 2D | Computer aided design CAD software | |
| Measure Square FloorEstimate Pro | Project management software | |
| TileGem | Computer aided design CAD software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some 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.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Construction Trades . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 48.0% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 36.9% | |
| Some College Courses | 10.7% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4.4% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 7.0 | |
| Conventional | 3.7 | |
| Artistic | 2.5 | |
| Investigative | 1.5 | |
| Social | 1.3 |
Interest areas
| Physical/Manual Labor | 6.3 | |
| Construction/Woodwork | 2.7 | |
| Applied Arts and Design | 2.5 | |
| Visual Arts | 2.2 | |
| Engineering | 1.8 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 1.5 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 1.4 |
Work styles
| Attention to Detail | 2.3 | |
| Dependability | 2.1 | |
| Cautiousness | 1.4 | |
| Perseverance | 1.3 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $36,140 |
| 25th percentile | $44,540 |
| Median (50th) | $52,240 |
| 75th percentile | $64,980 |
| 90th percentile | $82,960 |
| People employed | 38,740 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Construction · Sector | 31,210 | $55,160 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 5,420 | $47,350 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 1,480 | $52,700 |
| Masonry Contractors · National industry | 1,090 | $59,780 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors · National industry | 220 | $55,690 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 120 | $27,040 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 40 | $47,690 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors · National industry | — | $46,810 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | — | $48,540 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Masonry Contractors · National industry | 30.21× | 1,090 |
| Construction · Sector | 15.29× | 31,210 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors · National industry | 3.56× | 220 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 1.69× | 5,420 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 0.38× | 1,480 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 0.18× | 120 |
Related occupations
Part of the Construction career cluster.
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles · 47-2042.00 Compare →
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers · 47-2053.00 Compare →
- Stonemasons · 47-2022.00 Compare →
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters · 47-3011.00 Compare →
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing · 51-9195.03 Compare →
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons · 47-2021.00 Compare →
- Carpet Installers · 47-2041.00 Compare →
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers · 47-2081.00 Compare →
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers · 47-2051.00 Compare →
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons · 47-2161.00 Compare →
- Floor Sanders and Finishers · 47-2043.00 Compare →
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall · 47-2131.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Tile and Stone Setters — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- No formal educational credential · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Construction Trades · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 3rd percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Tile and Stone Setters show 13th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 4,200 annual U.S. openings
- Tile and Stone Setters rank in the 13th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 4,200 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+10.1%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $52,240, across about 38,740 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Tile and Stone Setters show 13th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 4,200 annual U.S. openings • Tile and Stone Setters rank in the 13th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 4,200 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+10.1%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $52,240, across about 38,740 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Tile and Stone Setters". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2044-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Tile and Stone Setters." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2044-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Tile and Stone Setters. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2044-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-47-2044-00,
title = {Tile and Stone Setters},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2044-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.