AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Tile and Stone Setters?

Task-level automation exposure for Tile and Stone Setters: 25 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

15% weighted task index

25 of 25 tasks scored

Median Salary

$55,690 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Medium

35,850 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+9.8% employment change

3,300 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 47 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$38,980 – $81,150

Highest medians

Massachusetts $81,150

Hawaii $79,270

Washington $77,920

Maine $70,720

Minnesota $70,560

Lowest medians

Arkansas $38,980

Mississippi $39,130

North Dakota $42,620

South Carolina $43,510

Tennessee $43,570

State figures come from the 47-2044 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 15%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 83%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 14%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 0%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 10/100 Low

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

25 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 7%

2 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 10%

3 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 83%

20 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#2848 · Core · 4% automatable

Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.

physical manipulation — Aligning masonry is skilled manual work

Align masonry materials.

#2851 · Core · 3% automatable

Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.

physical manipulation — Hands-on removal of excess construction materials

Remove excess materials from finished construction projects. Install masonry materials.

#2850 · Core · 5% automatable

Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.

physical manipulation — Masonry cutting requires skilled manual work

Cut tile, stone, or other masonry materials.

#2849 · Core · 40% automatable

Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.

decision support — Layouts need site survey and engineering sign-off

Determine construction project layouts.

#2853 · Core · 7% automatable

Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.

physical manipulation — Physical handling of substances in workspace

Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities. Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures. Apply mortar.

#2859 · Core · 70% automatable

Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.

visual inspection — Specs reading aided, human validates requirements

Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements. Estimate materials requirements for projects.

#2855 · Core · 15% automatable

Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.

physical manipulation — Physical site dimension measurement

Measure work site dimensions. Mark reference points on construction materials.

#2864 · Core · 3% automatable

Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.

physical manipulation — Aligning masonry is skilled manual work

Install masonry materials. Align masonry materials.

#2852 · Core · 6% automatable

Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.

physical manipulation — Hands-on adhesive application in unstructured construction settings

Apply adhesives to construction materials. Apply mortar.

#2869 · Core · 8% automatable

Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.

physical manipulation — Physical handling of substances in workspace

Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities. Apply mortar.

#2871 · Core · 10% automatable

Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant.

physical manipulation — Applying sealants requires hands-on coating

Apply sealants or other protective coatings.

#2856 · Core · 6% automatable

Level concrete and allow to dry.

physical manipulation — Manual spreading of concrete and aggregates

Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures.

#2867 · Core · 15% automatable

Measure and cut metal lath to size for walls and ceilings, using tin snips.

physical manipulation — Physical measurement for assembly fitting

Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly. Cut metal components for installation.

#2861 · Core · 4% automatable

Install and anchor fixtures in designated positions, using hand tools.

physical manipulation — Installing fixtures requires manual dexterity

Install building fixtures.

#2858 · Core · 6% automatable

Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen.

physical manipulation — Hands-on adhesive application in unstructured construction settings

Apply adhesives to construction materials. Apply mortar.

#2866 · Core · 5% automatable

Remove and replace cracked or damaged tile.

physical manipulation — Hands-on removal of worn materials

Remove worn, damaged or outdated materials from work areas.

#2862 · Core · 6% automatable

Cut tile backing to required size, using shears.

physical manipulation — Hand cutting of flexible flooring materials

Cut carpet, vinyl or other flexible materials.

#2863 · Core · 8% automatable

Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully.

physical manipulation — Surface preparation is hands-on physical work

Clean surfaces in preparation for work activities. Remove worn, damaged or outdated materials from work areas.

#2860 · Core · 5% automatable

Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units.

physical manipulation — Abrasive hand work on physical surfaces

Install masonry materials. Cut tile, stone, or other masonry materials. Smooth surfaces with abrasive materials or tools.

#2870 · Supplemental · 8% automatable

Spread mastic or other adhesive base on roof deck to form base for promenade tile, using serrated spreader.

physical manipulation — Hands-on adhesive application in unstructured construction settings

Apply adhesives to construction materials.

#2865 · Supplemental · 52% automatable

Assist customers in selection of tile and grout.

interpersonal — Client dialogue on products/policies is relational

Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.

#2854 · Supplemental · 60% automatable

Prepare cost and labor estimates, based on calculations of time and materials needed for project.

data analysis — Construction cost estimation needs site judgment

Estimate construction project costs. Estimate construction project labor requirements.

#2872 · Supplemental · 8% automatable

Brush glue onto manila paper on which design has been drawn and position tiles, finished side down, onto paper.

physical manipulation — Hands-on adhesive application in unstructured construction settings

Apply adhesives to construction materials.

#2868 · Supplemental · 55% automatable

Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications.

decision support — Construction material selection needs code and site judgment

Select construction materials. Order construction or extraction materials or equipment.

#2857 · Supplemental · 2% automatable

Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires, and brackets.

physical manipulation — Masonry requires skilled manual labor

Install masonry materials.

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Community Sentiment

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Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

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