Statewide pay Government data
Tile setters in Missouri earn a statewide median of $60,590 a year, 20% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #13 of 47 states. About 470 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Missouri
See all states on the tile setters nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes tile setter pay for 3 Missouri metros: Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. LouisMISSOURI · MO | $63,640 | $66,927 | 280 |
| Kansas CityMISSOURI · MO | $57,100 | $61,701 | 290 |
| SpringfieldMISSOURI · MO | $42,210 | $47,649 | 50 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,300 openings a year. Typical training: long-term on-the-job training.
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.
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.
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of tile setter apprentices in Missouri who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 44% completed (U.S.: 41%), about 4 graduates a year. The typical program runs 6,000 hours, about 3 years of full-time work.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Licensing in Missouri Official source
Missouri licenses most trades at the city or county level. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
Requirements for tile setters vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 9.8% of wage and salary workers in Missouri were union members, close to the U.S. rate of about 10% (#22 of 51 states and D.C.), and 11.2% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only tile setters.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Missouri
All trades in Missouri.