How to hire tile and stone setters
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges. • 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. • Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge. • Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs. • Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints. • 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. • Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, mathematics and speaking skills • Working knowledge of building and construction • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $26.77 an hour ($55,690 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for tile and stone setters
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Walk me through a calculation you do regularly at work and how you check it.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What tile and stone setters do
- Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
- 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.
- Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
- Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
- Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
- 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.
- Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for tile and stone setters
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +9.8% over ten years, much faster than average · about 3,300 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay tile and stone setters
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $77,920 |
| Minnesota | $70,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,230 |
| Illinois | $67,160 |
| New York | $61,260 |
| Texas | $47,030 |
| Ohio | $46,140 |
| North Carolina | $44,650 |
See tile and stone setters pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
- Stonemasons
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Carpet Installers
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.