Tile Setter

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Work Tasks

• Put tiles on floors, walls, and ceilings
• Study blueprints, measure and mark areas to be covered, and lay out work
• Tack metal lathe to area and spread cement
• Cut, shape, and put on tile and finish it with a damp cloth
• Work inside and outside for tile setting contractors
• Work with tiles of many sizes and colors, blueprints, measuring tapes, levels, cement, mastic, trowels, tin snips, tile cutters, biters, hand tools, power equipment, and grout

Salary, Size & Growth

• $43,000 average per year ($20.75 per hour)
• A medium occupation (35,300 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (1.4% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: On-the-job training
• Employers Prefer: A high school diploma and an apprenticeship in roofing
• Skills/Courses: Courses in applied math, shop, and mechanical drawing; able to measure and fit tiles and mix and apply grout.