plasterer
Plasterers apply plaster made from gypsum, cement or other solutions to walls as a smooth finish. They mix dry plaster powder with water, then smear the resulting paste onto a wall. The plaster is then smoothed before it hardens and forms a solid coating on the wall.
plasterer plasterers apply plaster made from gypsum, cement or other solutions to walls as a smooth finish. They mix dry plaster powder with water, then smear the resulting paste onto a wall. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include types of plastering materials, work ergonomically, apply proofing membranes, plaster surfaces, transport construction supplies.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £34,016 a year for Plasterers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5321). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only plasterer, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Building and Construction
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Education and Training
What you'd actually do
- Clean work areas and equipment.
- Perform support duties to assist painters, paperhangers, plasterers, or masons.
- Apply protective coverings, such as masking tape, to articles or areas that could be damaged or stained by work processes.
- Erect scaffolding.
- Fill cracks or breaks in surfaces of plaster articles or areas with putty or epoxy compounds.
- Supply or hold tools and materials.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does plasterer do?
Plasterers apply plaster made from gypsum, cement or other solutions to walls as a smooth finish. They mix dry plaster powder with water, then smear the resulting paste onto a wall. The plaster is then smoothed before it hardens and forms a solid coating on the wall.
What skills does plasterer need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include types of plastering materials, work ergonomically, apply proofing membranes, plaster surfaces, transport construction supplies, inspect construction supplies. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace plasterer?
Our AI-durability model gives plasterer a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.