Plasterers and Stucco Masons

Summary

Plasterers apply plaster for a smooth finished look.

Quick Facts: Plasterers and Stucco Masons
2010 Median Pay	$37,210 per year $17.89 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Less than high school
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Long-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	27,900
Job Outlook, 2010-20	17% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	4,800

What Plasterers and Stucco Masons Do

Plasterers and stucco masons apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions for functional and decorative purposes. Some workers apply ornamental plaster.

Work Environment

Like many other construction trades, the work of plasterers and stucco masons is physically demanding. They spend most of the day on their feet, either standing, bending, or stretching. They work indoors and outdoors—applying plaster to interior walls and stucco to exterior walls.

How to Become a Plasterer or Stucco Mason

Although most plasterers and stucco masons learn informally on the job, a few learn their trade through a formal apprenticeship.

Pay

The median annual wage of plasterers and stucco masons was $37,210 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of plasterers and stucco masons is projected to grow 17 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. But because plasterers and stucco masons are part of a niche market, overall employment growth may be somewhat limited. Job prospects should improve in the coming decade as construction activity rebounds from the recent recession.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of plasterers and stucco masons with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

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What Plasterers and Stucco Masons Do About this section

Plasterers use "hawks" to hold plaster.

Plasterers and stucco masons apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions for functional and decorative purposes. Some workers apply ornamental plaster.

Duties

Plasterers and stucco masons typically do the following:

• Clean and prepare surfaces
• Nail a wire mesh to the surface to ensure the plaster or stucco stays in place
• Mix plaster and stucco to desired consistency
• Apply two or three coats of plaster or stucco using trowels, brushes, or spray guns
• Rough the undercoat surface with a scratcher so the finish coat will stick
• Create decorative textures using brushes, trowels, sand, or stones
• Apply sealants or waxes to protect the finish and allow for easy cleaning

Plasterers apply coats of plaster to interior walls and ceilings to form fire-resistant and relatively soundproof surfaces. Using trowels, workers spread plaster on solid surfaces, such as concrete block, or supportive wire mesh called lath. They also may apply plaster over drywall to create smooth or textured scratch-resistant finishes. Using molds and a variety of troweling techniques, some plasterers make decorative and ornamental designs, which require special skills and creativity.

Plasterers may also install prefabricated exterior insulation systems over existing walls—for good insulation and interesting architectural effects—and cast ornamental designs in plaster.

Stucco masons usually apply stucco—a mixture of cement, lime, and sand—on building exteriors over wire lath, concrete, or masonry. Stucco masons also may apply other durable plasters, such as polymer-based acrylic finishes, to exterior surfaces. Stucco masons may also embed marble or gravel chips into the finish coat to achieve a pebble-like, decorative finish.

In addition, when required, stucco masons apply insulation to the exterior of new and old buildings. They cover the outer wall with rigid foam insulation board and reinforcing mesh, and then trowel on a base coat.

Work Environment About this section

Plasterers mainly work indoors.

Plasterers and stucco masons held about 27,900 jobs in 2010. The vast majority were employed in the specialty trade contractors industry. About 53 percent were employed in the drywall and insulation contractors industry, while 15 percent were employed in the masonry contractors industry. An additional 11 percent were self-employed.

Like many other construction trades, the work of plasterers and stucco masons is physically demanding. They spend most of the day on their feet, either standing, bending, or stretching.

Plasterers must hold plaster in one hand using a hawk—a square board with a handle on the bottom—while troweling with the other hand, and the plaster can be heavy.

Plasterers and stucco masons may also work on ladders or scaffolding, occasionally up high. The work can often be dusty and dirty, which can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs. Workers usually wear protective masks, goggles, and gloves to reduce the effects of these problems.

Injuries

Although the work is not inherently dangerous, plasterers and stucco masons experience a rate of injury and illness that is higher than the national average. Muscle strain from lifting heavy plaster and stucco is the most common injury, and workers sometimes fall from ladders or scaffolds.

Work Schedules

Most plasterers and stucco masons work full time; others work part time or have variable schedules. Because stucco masons work outdoors, they may have to stop work in bad weather. About 11 percent of plasterers and stucco masons were self-employed in 2010. Self-employed workers may be able to set their own schedule.

How to Become a Plasterer or Stucco Mason About this section

New workers learn to apply stucco by working with more experienced masons.

Although most plasterers and stucco masons learn informally on the job, a few learn their trade through a formal apprenticeship.

Training

Most plasterers and stucco masons learn through long-term on-the-job training after being hired. Workers typically gain experience by doing jobs under the guidance of experienced workers. For example, they learn how to mix and apply coats of plaster or stucco.

A few plasterers and stucco masons learn through 3- or 4-year apprenticeships. For each year of a program, apprentices must have at least 144 hours of related technical instruction and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. Apprentices learn construction basics such as blueprint reading, mathematics, building code requirements, safety, and first-aid practices. 

After completing an apprenticeship program, plasterers and stucco masons are considered journey workers who may perform tasks on their own.

Several groups sponsor apprenticeship programs, including unions and contractor associations. The basic qualifications for entering an apprenticeship program are as follows:

• Minimum age of 18
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Physically able to do the work

Some contractors have their own plasterer and stucco mason training programs. While some workers enter apprenticeships directly, many begin as helpers.

Education

Although there are no formal educational requirements, taking high school courses in math, shop, mechanical drawing, and blueprint reading is considered to be helpful.

Certification

Some organizations related to masonry trades offer training and certification intended to enhance the skills of their members. For example, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers’ International Masonry Institute offers certifications in several areas of specialization, including one for plastering. Candidates who complete a 12-week certification program become a “journey level plasterer” by passing a competency-based exam. Experienced candidates can become a “Certified Instructor for Journeyworkers and Apprentices in the Trowel Trades.”

Important Qualities

Creativity/Artistic ability. Interior plasterers who apply decorative and ornamental finishes should have a degree of artistic ability so they can make designs or match decorations.

Hand-eye coordination. Workers need to be able to apply smooth, even coats of plaster. Plasterers transfer plaster from hawks to trowels and then spread it on the wall.

Physical strength. Workers need to be strong enough to hold a hawk—a square board with a handle on the bottom—loaded with plaster in one hand while troweling with the other.

Stamina. Because workers apply plaster and stucco from floor to ceiling, they must have enough endurance to spend many hours on their feet while bending and reaching.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of plasterers and stucco masons was $37,210 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,880, and the top 10 percent earned more than $66,500.

The starting pay for apprentices is usually between 30 percent and 50 percent of what fully trained workers make. They get pay increases as they gain more skills.

Most plasterers and stucco masons work full time; the rest work part time or have variable schedules.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of plasterers and stucco masons is projected to grow 17 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. But because plasterers and stucco masons are part of a niche market, overall employment growth will be somewhat limited. In addition, the growing use of less costly and easy-to-install alternatives, such as drywall, will likely slow employment growth of plasterers.

At the same time, the need to fireproof refineries and powerplants should result in some demand for plasterers. Stucco masons will experience employment growth that results from demand for polymer-based exterior insulating finishes, which are gaining popularity, particularly in the South and Southwest regions of the country.

Job Prospects

Overall job prospects should improve over the coming decade as construction activity rebounds from the recent recession. Like many other construction workers, employment of plasterers and stucco masons is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in the economy, and workers in this trade can expect periods of unemployment when the overall level of construction falls. However, shortages of workers may occur in some areas during peak periods of building activity.

Highly skilled workers with good job histories and work experience in construction should have the best opportunities. Stucco masons will have the best job opportunities in parts of the country where stucco homes and other buildings are popular, such as the South and some Southwestern states. Plasterers will have better job opportunities in areas where powerplants and oil refineries are being built or refurbished.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For details about apprenticeships or other work opportunities for plasterers and stucco masons, contact the offices of the state employment service, the state apprenticeship agency, local contractors or firms that employ plasterers and stucco masons, or local union-management apprenticeship committees. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor's toll free help line, 1 (877) 872-5627, or Employment and Training Administration.

For information about plasterers and stucco masons, visit

Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry

Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association 

International Masonry Institute

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers