Career profile for Tile Mason

What does a Tile Mason do?

Tile Masons apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.

What kind of tasks does a Tile Mason perform regularly?

Tile Masons are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units.
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.
Level concrete and allow to dry.
Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.
Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen.
Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.
Remove and replace cracked or damaged tile.
Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant.
Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully.

The above responsibilities are specific to Tile Masons. More generally, Tile Masons are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information		Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information

Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

What is a Tile Mason salary?

The median salary for a Tile Mason is $44,220, and the average salary is $48,490. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Tile Mason salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Tile Masons earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Tile Masons earn less than $27,390 per year, 25% earn less than $34,240, 75% earn less than $58,200, and 90% earn less than $76,620.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Tile Masons is expected to change by 11.5%, and there should be roughly 5,400 open positions for Tile Masons every year.

Median annual salary: $44,220
Typical salary range: $27,390 - $76,620
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 11.5%

What personality traits are common among Tile Masons?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Tile Mason are usually higher in their Realistic and Conventional interests.

Tile Masons typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Also, Tile Masons typically have moderate Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Tile Mason tend to value Independence, Support, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Tile Masons moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Second, Tile Masons moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Lastly, Tile Masons moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Tile Masons must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Tile Masons, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence		Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Independence

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

What education and training do Tile Masons need?

Working as a Tile Mason usually requires a high school diploma.

Tile Masons need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Tile Masons

31.7% did not complete high school or secondary school
43.7% completed high school or secondary school
15.6% completed some college coursework
3.5% earned a Associate's degree
4.9% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.7% earned a Master's degree
0.1% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Tile Masons

Tile Masons may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as building and construction, mathematics, or design knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Tile Masons might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Design		Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Important Abilities needed by Tile Masons

Tile Masons must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Tile Masons need abilities such as visualization, trunk strength, and extent flexibility in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Tile Masons, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Visualization		The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Trunk Strength		The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Extent Flexibility		The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Trunk Strength

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Extent Flexibility

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Critical Skills needed by Tile Masons

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Tile Masons frequently use skills like critical thinking, active listening, and speaking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Tile Masons, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination		Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Mathematics		Using mathematics to solve problems.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Mathematics

Using mathematics to solve problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Tile Mason

Tile Mason

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