Plasterers and Stucco Masons

What the job really is

Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.

At a glance

• Sector: Construction & Extraction
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-2161
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Set up scaffolds.
• Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
• Clean job sites.
• Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
• Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
• Determine materials needed to complete the job and place orders accordingly.
• Apply weatherproof, decorative coverings to exterior surfaces of buildings, such as by troweling or spraying on coats of stucco.
• Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
• Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones.
• Apply insulation to building exteriors by installing prefabricated insulation systems over existing walls or by covering the outer wall with insulation board, reinforcing mesh, and a base coat.
• Rough the undercoat surface with a scratcher so the finish coat will adhere.
• Cure freshly plastered surfaces.

Tools and technology

Linux, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, Oracle Database, Salesforce software, A-Systems JobView, Accounting software, Autodesk 3ds Max Design, Autodesk Maya, Chalk lines, Claw hammers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
• Roofers
• Painters, Construction and Maintenance
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Tile and Stone Setters
• Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Plasterers and Stucco Masons — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.