Tile Setter Prevailing Wage Rates in California (2026)
Tile Setters on prevailing wage projects in California are paid $12.33 to $72.33 per hour, with a median total of $57.03 across the 50 determination records listed below. That total is base rate plus fringe benefits; the median base rate is $37.96, and among the 50 records listing a fringe separately the median fringe is $19.18. Rates differ by county, construction type and funding source, so use the row that matches your project.
Figures above are computed over the 50 hourly records in the table below, which is the first page of a larger set. They are not a statewide average of all tile setters in California. Most recent determination in this set: May 20, 2026.
How much do tile setters earn on prevailing wage jobs in California?
Every row below is one wage determination line: a tile setter classification, in one county, for one construction type, under one funding source. The rate that applies to your project is the row whose county, construction type and funding source all match it — a Highway rate does not apply to a Building project in the same county, and a state determination does not substitute for a federal one.
| Classification | County | Construction type | Funding | Base | Fringe | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile Finisher | Del-Norte | Building | #federal | $16.17 | $4.98 | $21.15 |
| Tile Setter | Del-Norte | Building | #federal | $23.35 | $4.48 | $27.83 |
| Tile Finisher | Humboldt | Building | #federal | $16.17 | $4.98 | $21.15 |
| Tile Setter | Humboldt | Building | #federal | $23.35 | $4.48 | $27.83 |
| Tile Finisher | Lake | Building | #federal | $16.17 | $4.98 | $21.15 |
| Tile Setter | Lake | Building | #federal | $23.35 | $4.48 | $27.83 |
| Tile Finisher | Mendocino | Building | #federal | $16.17 | $4.98 | $21.15 |
| Tile Setter | Mendocino | Building | #federal | $23.35 | $4.48 | $27.83 |
| Tile Finisher | San-Bernardino | Heavy | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | San-Bernardino | Building | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | San-Bernardino | Highway | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Layer | San-Bernardino | Heavy | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | San-Bernardino | Highway | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | San-Bernardino | Building | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Finisher | Riverside | Heavy | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | Riverside | Building | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | Riverside | Highway | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Layer | Riverside | Highway | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | Riverside | Heavy | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | Riverside | Building | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Finisher | Orange | Heavy | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | Orange | Highway | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | Orange | Building | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Layer | Orange | Building | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | Orange | Heavy | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | Orange | Highway | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Finisher | Amador | Building | #federal | $10.68 | $1.65 | $12.33 |
| Tile Setter | Amador | Building | #federal | $18.92 | $3.29 | $22.21 |
| Tile Finisher | Los-Angeles | Highway | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | Los-Angeles | Building | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Finisher | Los-Angeles | Heavy | #federal | $37.96 | $13.77 | $51.73 |
| Tile Layer | Los-Angeles | Building | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | Los-Angeles | Highway | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Layer | Los-Angeles | Heavy | #federal | $51.82 | $19.32 | $71.14 |
| Tile Finisher | Tulare | Heavy | #federal | $32.68 | $18.32 | $51.00 |
| Tile Finisher | Tulare | Highway | #federal | $32.68 | $18.32 | $51.00 |
| Tile Layer | Tulare | Highway | #federal | $50.28 | $22.05 | $72.33 |
| Tile Layer | Tulare | Heavy | #federal | $50.28 | $22.05 | $72.33 |
| Tile Layer | Inyo | Heavy | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Inyo | Highway | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Inyo | Building | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Kern | Highway | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Kern | Heavy | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Kern | Building | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Mono | Heavy | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Mono | Highway | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Layer | Mono | Building | #federal | $48.29 | $19.18 | $67.47 |
| Tile Finisher Area 1 | Alameda | Building | #federal | $37.75 | $19.28 | $57.03 |
| Tile Finisher Area 1 | Alameda | Heavy | #federal | $37.75 | $19.28 | $57.03 |
| Tile Finisher Area 1 | Alameda | Highway | #federal | $37.75 | $19.28 | $57.03 |
WageFinder holds more tile setter records for California than fit on this page. Open a county below, or search all California tile setters.
What does the tile setter classification cover?
Tile setters install ceramic, porcelain, quarry and stone tile with the associated substrates, membranes and grouts. Determinations usually rate tile setters and tile finishers separately, the finisher rate being materially lower.
Work typically covered
- Ceramic and porcelain tile
- Stone and quarry tile
- Waterproofing membrane
- Mortar bed and thinset
- Grouting and sealing
Also listed as
- Tile Setter/Finisher
- Tile Layer
- Marble Setter
In this California result set the work appears under 4 distinct classification names.
Tile Setter rates by county in California
Prevailing wage is set county by county. These are the California counties with tile setter records in the set above — open one to see every classification on that county's determination, not just this trade.
Other trades in California
Tile Setter prevailing wage questions
What is the prevailing wage for a tile setter in California?
Across the 50 federal-funded determination records WageFinder lists for tile setters in California, total prevailing wage runs from $12.33 to $72.33 per hour, median $57.03. There is no single statewide figure: each county's determination sets its own rate, and the same county can carry different rates for Building, Highway, Heavy and Residential work.
Does the tile setter rate include benefits?
The total prevailing wage shown is the base hourly rate plus the fringe benefit rate. Of the 50 California records on this page, 50 list a fringe amount separately, with a median of $19.18 per hour — roughly 34% of the median total. The rest list no separate fringe, meaning the base rate is the whole obligation. Fringe can be paid as bona fide benefit plan contributions, as cash added to the paycheck, or as a mix of both.
Which California counties have tile setter rates?
This page lists tile setter records for 14 counties in California: Alameda, Amador, Del-Norte, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Los-Angeles, Mendocino, Mono, Orange, Riverside, and others. Determinations that apply statewide appear under a statewide entry rather than a named county.
How current are these California tile setter rates?
The most recent determination in this set is dated May 20, 2026. WageFinder re-reads the official sources weekly, but the date that matters for compliance is the determination date on the document itself, which is shown on every wage detail page and links back to the government source.
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