Tile Setters in the Bridgeport area earn a median of $65,580 a year, 30% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #12 of 120 metros for tile setter salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Springfield, but less in New Haven.
It's one of 2 Connecticut metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide tile setter pay.
Tile Setter pay in Bridgeport at a glance
- Tile setters in the Bridgeport, CT metro earn a median $65,580 a year ($31.53 an hour), #12 of 120 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $49,440 and $86,670.
- After local prices, that median buys what $61,368 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $2,071 a month, 38% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among tile setters in Bridgeport.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for tile setters here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.9%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 3,620 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $103,811 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $80/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Bridgeport scorecard for tile setters Our calculation
Grades compare Bridgeport 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 ($50,495).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Bridgeport Our calculation
Prices in the Bridgeport area run 7% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $61,368 would in a typical place, ranking #23 of 120 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.
Want the full picture? Build a Bridgeport budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What tile setters do
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
- Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
- Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
- Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
- 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.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, tile setter jobs are projected to grow 9.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 3,300 openings a year. About 21% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often tile setters 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 Connecticut Official source
The main state licensing office in Connecticut is the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Licenses trades and registers home improvement contractors. It can point you to the right license for tile setters.
Official Connecticut licensing site ↗
Requirements for tile setters vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, tile setters have 138 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.6× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CT metros for tile setters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BridgeportCONNECTICUT · CT | $65,580 | $61,368 | 60 |
| New HavenCONNECTICUT · CT | $62,750 | $60,014 | 50 |
See every metro in Connecticut.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Bridgeport area's unemployment rate was 3.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just tile setters), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Bridgeport area is 32 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 26% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 62% drive alone, 8% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Bridgeport area's population grew 3.7% from 2020 to 2025 (943,100 → 978,179), ranking #137 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +21,985) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Bridgeport
The Bridgeport area has about 380,889 homes. 66% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 8% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 66% of households own their home, and the median home value is $615,800.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Bridgeport are up 169% from 2021 to 2025 (1,292 → 3,478).
In 2025 the Bridgeport area approved permits for 3,478 new homes (524 single-family), or 3.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #189 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 3,620 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $103,811 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Bridgeport compares among the best cities to start a tile setter business.
They compete with 372 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 1,992 workers in total). 77% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Bridgeport Government data
In an average year, Bridgeport has 9 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 92 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 78 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 34 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 81°F and winter nights 27°F. That matters for tile setters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Bridgeport Sikorsky Mem Airport, CT 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 $65,580 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. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 tile setter pricing & estimate templates →Compare Bridgeport with another city →
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ToolCheck an offer in BridgeportSee where it falls among local tile setters, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolBridgeport budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Bridgeport 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 Bridgeport against every other metro for tile setters. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.