Plasterers in the Provo area earn a median of $53,570 a year, 9% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #41 of 58 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Ogden and Logan.
It's one of 4 Utah metros with published pay for this trade; see plasterer pay in Utah.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for plasterers here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and also below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.6%) and the population is growing faster than most (+14.5% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,071 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $66,289 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $69/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Provo scorecard for plasterers Our calculation
Grades compare Provo with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($58,820).
Pay over time
The median pay for plasterers in the Provo area went from $41,860 in 2020 to $53,570 in 2025, up 28.0%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +2.1% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among plasterers in Provo.
What the pay is really worth in Provo Our calculation
Prices in the Provo area run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $54,534 would in a typical place, ranking #37 of 58 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What plasterers do
Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
- Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
- Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
- Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones.
- Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, plasterer jobs are projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 1,500 openings a year. About 17% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often plasterers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Utah Official source
The main state licensing office in Utah is the Utah Division of Professional Licensing. It can point you to the right license for plasterers.
Official Utah licensing site ↗
Requirements for plasterers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, plasterers have 157 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.8× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying UT metros for plasterers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| LoganUTAH · UT | $57,360 | $59,795 | 50 |
| St. GeorgeUTAH · UT | $54,310 | $55,805 | 180 |
| OgdenUTAH · UT | $54,010 | $53,822 | 110 |
| ProvoUTAH · UT | $53,570 | $54,534 | 270 |
See every metro in Utah.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Provo area's unemployment rate was 3.6% in 2025 (all workers, not just plasterers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 2.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Provo area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 16% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 66% drive alone, 2% take transit and 18% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Provo area's population grew 14.5% from 2020 to 2025 (675,397 → 773,426), ranking #11 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +53,042) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Provo
The Provo area has about 230,836 homes. 23% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 34% were built in 2010 or later. 69% of households own their home, and the median home value is $584,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Provo are down 35% from 2021 to 2025 (11,175 → 7,304).
In 2025 the Provo area approved permits for 7,304 new homes (5,395 single-family), or 10.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #28 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,071 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $66,289 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Provo compares among the best cities to start a plasterer business.
They compete with 491 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 2,452 workers in total). 71% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Provo Government data
In an average year, Provo has 74 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 9 at 100°F or more, 111 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 49 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 45 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 92°F and winter nights 25°F. That matters for plasterers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Provo Byu, UT station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $53,570 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get plasterer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Provo with another city →
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ToolCheck an offer in ProvoSee where it falls among local plasterers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolProvo budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Provo metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Provo against every other metro for plasterers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.