Tilesetters
Job description
These individuals cover walls, floors, and ceilings with a variety of materials: ceramic, marble, sandstone or mosaic tiles, and any other similar or substitute materials.
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
- Equipment, machinery, tools
- Hazardous chemical
- Nontoxic dust
- Uncontrolled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Prepare, measure, and mark out the surfaces to be coated.
- Mix and spread adhesive materials (mortar, cement, glue, etc.).
- Place tiles and seat them securely in the adhesive bed.
- Lay aggregate-based materials (e.g. cement-based granite).
- Align and straighten tiles.
- Cut and fit tiles around obstacles or openings.
- Apply grout between tiles and remove excess.
- Install and arrange mosaic tiles to create decorative patterns.
- Mix, apply, and polish compounds.
- Replace broken or damaged tiles.
Advancement and mobility
- Qualified Tilesetters receive a Red Seal endorsement upon successful completion of the Interprovincial Examination.
- Experience leads to supervisory positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $23.02
- Median
- $33.00
- Maximum
- $43.00
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
Very good
All of Québec
Non available
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
2,500
All of Québec
na
Gender distribution
All of Québec
Not available.
- 8% Female
- 92% Male
Not available.
- 8% Female
- 92% Male
Job types
All of Québec
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Not available.
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
$51,600
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Seasonal worker
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Seasonal worker
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2395% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 452% of jobs
-
NAICS 3391% of jobs
-
NAICS 3271% of jobs
-
NAICS 530% of jobs
-
Others1% of jobs
All of Québec
Not available.
-
NAICS 2395% of jobs
-
NAICS 44, 452% of jobs
-
NAICS 3391% of jobs
-
NAICS 3271% of jobs
-
NAICS 530% of jobs
-
Others1% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
Secondary
DVS in carrelage
Code : 5300
Placement rate: 83.7%
10.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Certificate of qualification.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Critical thought
- Coordination
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Time management
- Mathematics
Abilities
- Core strength
- Physical flexibility in extension
- Visualization
- Awareness of issues
- Near vision
- Oral comprehension
- Information organization
- Hand-arm stability
- Speech clarity
- Classification
- Limb coordination
- Digital dexterity
- Manual dexterity
- Static muscle power
- Verbal skills
- Control accuracy
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Written comprehension
- Endurance
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Focussed on results
- Autonomy
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to work in a team
- Rigour
- Attention to detail
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of buildings and construction
- Patience
Interests
- Make, build, install
- Self-employment
- Work manually
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Official name of the NOC 73101
Tilesetters
Job titles
- Tile layer
- Ceramic tilesetter
- Tile floor layer
- Granite setter
- Tilesetters lead hand
- Tile fitter
- Apprentice tilesetter
- Journeyman/woman tilesetter
- Marble tilesetter
- Terrazzo finisher
- Tile installer
- Ceramic tile installer
- Marble mason
- Tile mason
- Terrazzo mason
- Marble layer
- Mosaic tilesetter
- Tile mechanic
- Terrazzo mechanic
- Marble mechanic
- Terrazzo polisher
- Terrazzo floor layer
- Terrazzo, tile and marble setter
- Terrazzo layer
- Artificial marble setter
Skill type
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
Last update: January 29, 2026
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