Tile and Stone Setters Salary
In Raleigh-Cary, NC, tile and stone setters earn $44,860 at the median, or about $21.57 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $45,701 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 56.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tile and stone setters
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What this looks like in Raleigh-Cary
Pay for tile and stone setters in Raleigh-Cary runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $56K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,750/month, which is 58.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tile and stone setterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tile and stone setters in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point | $49K | $53K |
| Asheville | $49K | $51K |
| Winston-Salem | $46K | $50K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $45K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level tile and stone setters (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Tile and Stone Setters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tile and Stone Setters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $81K | +46% | 410 |
| Hawaii | $79K | +42% | 440 |
| Washington | $78K | +40% | 660 |
| Maine | $71K | +27% | 60 |
| Minnesota | $71K | +27% | 610 |
| Pennsylvania | $70K | +26% | 880 |
| Illinois | $67K | +21% | 730 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +13% | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | +13% | 410 |
| New Jersey | $62K | +12% | 460 |
| New York | $61K | +10% | 2,990 |
| Nevada | $61K | +10% | 1,450 |
| Missouri | $61K | +9% | 470 |
| Nebraska | $59K | +7% | N/A |
| California | $59K | +6% | 8,250 |
| Oregon | $59K | +6% | 790 |
| Montana | $59K | +5% | 240 |
| Colorado | $58K | +4% | 870 |
| Vermont | $56K | +0% | 140 |
| Kansas | $55K | -1% | 310 |
| Iowa | $54K | -2% | 240 |
| Arizona | $52K | -7% | 1,060 |
| West Virginia | $51K | -9% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -9% | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | -10% | 40 |
| Utah | $49K | -11% | 1,590 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | -12% | N/A |
| Virginia | $49K | -12% | 750 |
| Indiana | $48K | -13% | 540 |
| Michigan | $48K | -14% | 1,010 |
| Idaho | $48K | -14% | 570 |
| Georgia | $48K | -14% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -15% | 180 |
| Florida | $47K | -15% | 4,070 |
| Texas | $47K | -16% | 1,260 |
| Ohio | $46K | -17% | 670 |
| Maryland | $46K | -18% | 240 |
| Alabama | $45K | -20% | 260 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -20% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -20% | 680 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -20% | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -20% | 280 |
| Tennessee | $44K | -22% | 350 |
| South Carolina | $44K | -22% | N/A |
| North Dakota | $43K | -23% | 70 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -30% | 60 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -30% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tile and stone setters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tile and stone setter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 58.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tile and stone setters typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,192/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 80% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $45K here vs. $56K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for tile and stone setters?
Raleigh-Cary pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $56K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do tile and stone setters make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $44,860 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,540, and experienced tile and stone setters can clear $54,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,005/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 58.2% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tile and stone setters salary is worth about $45,701 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.