Tile and Stone Setters Salary
In California, tile and stone setters earn $58,880 at the median, or about $28.31 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $55,474 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 64.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in California?
About tile and stone setters
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What this looks like in California
Tile and stone setters pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $56K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 62.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level tile and stone setters (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Tile and Stone Setters salary by metro in California
18 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia | $71K | +21% | 110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $64K | +9% | 1,020 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $63K | +6% | 430 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $60K | +2% | 50 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $59K | +0% | 180 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $59K | -0% | 160 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $59K | -0% | 2,170 |
| Salinas | $58K | -1% | 140 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $58K | -1% | 910 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $58K | -1% | 280 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $56K | -4% | 790 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $56K | -6% | 210 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $55K | -7% | 940 |
| Fresno | $54K | -8% | 190 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $53K | -11% | 90 |
| Modesto | $51K | -13% | 120 |
| Redding | $49K | -16% | 40 |
| Chico | $48K | -19% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 18 metros
Compare to other states
Track tile and stone setters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tile and stone setter afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 62.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tile and stone setters in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tile and stone setters typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,399/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 103% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tile and stone setter a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $56K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for tile and stone setters?
California pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $56K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do tile and stone setters make in California?
The median is $58,880 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,990, and experienced tile and stone setters can clear $99,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,960/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 62.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tile and stone setters salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tile and stone setters salary is worth about $55,474 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tile and stone setters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.