Plasterers and stucco masons
SOC Code: 47-2161
Plasterers and stucco masons carries a 23% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $56,020 and +4.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 24,200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 23% AI exposure, Plasterers and stucco masons sits 14 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 11% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
66/100
Plasterers and stucco masons, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $56,020
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B- +4.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A 23% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Plasterers and stucco masons in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Plasterers and stucco masons keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Plasterers and stucco masons sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Plasterers and stucco masons sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
23% Among the lowest lower than 89% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Plasterers and stucco masons vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Plasterers and stucco masons is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Plasterers and stucco masons's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-2161) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Plasterers and stucco masons be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Plasterers and stucco masons. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
- 2. Clean job sites.
- 3. Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
- 4. Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
- 5. Set up scaffolds.
- 6. Determine materials needed to complete the job and place orders accordingly.
- 7. Cure freshly plastered surfaces.
- 8. Install guide wires on exterior surfaces of buildings to indicate thickness of plaster or stucco and nail wire mesh, lath, or similar materials to the outside surface to hold stucco in place.
- 9. Apply weatherproof, decorative coverings to exterior surfaces of buildings, such as by troweling or spraying on coats of stucco.
- 10. Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Quality Control Analysis
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Design
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Plasterers and stucco masons?
Plasterers and stucco masons has an AI exposure score of 23%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Plasterers and stucco masons?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Plasterers and stucco masons is projected to grow by 4.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 24,200 workers.
What skills are needed for Plasterers and stucco masons?
Key skills for Plasterers and stucco masons include Active Listening, Quality Control Analysis, Time Management, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Plasterers and stucco masons earn?
The median annual wage for Plasterers and stucco masons is $56,020, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Plasterers and stucco masons?
The typical entry-level education for Plasterers and stucco masons is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Plasterers and stucco masons?
Plasterers and stucco masons roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Plasterers and stucco masons: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (23% here).
- Automotive service technicians and mechanics · AI exposure 23%
- Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers · AI exposure 23%
- Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers · AI exposure 23%
- Helpers--carpenters · AI exposure 23%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.1% here).
- Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary · growth +4.1%
- Architectural and civil drafters · growth +4.1%
- Barbers · growth +4.1%
- Cardiologists · growth +4.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 43 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Plasterers and stucco masons' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Plasterers and stucco masons side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).