Will tile setters be replaced by AI?
Updated
Tile setters score 15 of 100 for AI exposure. 84% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 2% today and speed up another 14%.
- 2% AI can do it
- 14% AI helps
- 84% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 89% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 25 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 20 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications. Ordering tile from specifications is routine digital work. | 65% AI can do it |
| Prepare cost and labor estimates, based on calculations of time and materials needed for project. AI can draft estimates from quantities; site review still needed. | 60% AI helps |
| Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern. Layout tools can preview patterns; final fit is manual. | 45% AI helps |
| Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed. Quantity takeoffs from plans suit AI; site checks stay manual. | 42% AI helps |
| Assist customers in selection of tile and grout. Visualizer tools help with picks; customer conversations stay human. | 30% AI helps |
| Brush glue onto manila paper on which design has been drawn and position tiles, finished side down, onto paper. Gluing tiles face down to paper is manual craft work. | 16% Needs a person |
| Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs. Mosaic setting is manual, skilled artistry with little AI help. | 15% Needs a person |
| Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints. Measuring and marking surfaces on site is physical work. | 13% Needs a person |
| Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant. Brushing on grout sealer is physical; AI adds little. | 12% Needs a person |
| Install and anchor fixtures in designated positions, using hand tools. Anchoring fixtures with hand tools is physical site work. | 11% Needs a person |
Show the other 15 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| 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. Spreading bed material is physical; AI helps with mix choice. | 10% Needs a person |
| Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges. Hand alignment with levels and straightedges needs physical skill. | 9% Needs a person |
| Measure and cut metal lath to size for walls and ceilings, using tin snips. Cutting metal lath with tin snips is manual site work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools. Fitting tile around obstacles requires physical cutting on site. | 7% Needs a person |
| Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires, and brackets. Building underbeds and setting anchors is physical site work. | 7% Needs a person |
| Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints. Replaced 'manually' with 'with hands'. | 6% Needs a person |
| Cut tile backing to required size, using shears. Cutting backing board with shears is a manual site task. | 6% Needs a person |
| Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge. Replaced 'manually' with 'with hands'. | 5% Needs a person |
| Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen. Lath fixing and mortar coats on site are physical work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base. Buttering and pressing tile into mortar is purely physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Remove and replace cracked or damaged tile. Removing and replacing damaged tile is physical work on site. | 4% Needs a person |
| Level concrete and allow to dry. Replaced 'manually' with 'with hands'. | 3% Needs a person |
| Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully. Chiseling out old tile and adhesive is heavy physical labor. | 3% Needs a person |
| Spread mastic or other adhesive base on roof deck to form base for promenade tile, using serrated spreader. Spreading mastic on a roof deck is outdoor physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units. Cutting, polishing and setting stone is skilled physical work. | 2% Needs a person |
How tile setters compare
All occupations (923)
Construction and extraction (61)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $55,690 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 35,850 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +9.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Preview tile layouts in EasyCAD Iris 2D before setting
- Check AI-drafted estimates in Measure Square FloorEstimate Pro
- Cut, polish, and set marble and granite manually
- Take site measurements and read blueprints for material quantities
- Guide tile and grout picks with TileGem visualizations
- Build cost and labor estimates in Microsoft Excel
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about tile setters and AI
Will AI replace tile setters?
Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly ordering tile from specifications and preparing cost and labor estimates. Setting, cutting, and fitting tile and stone stay with people because the work needs a person on site with hands and tools.
Which tasks is AI taking over for tile setters?
Ordering tile from specifications is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 65, because it is routine digital work that software can handle from a spec sheet. Cost and labor estimates score 60 and can be drafted from quantities, while site review still needs a person. Quantity takeoffs from blueprints score 42.
Which tasks stay human for tile setters?
Cutting, polishing, and setting marble and granite scores 2 on exposure, and removing cracked or damaged tile scores 4. These stay with people because they are skilled physical work done on site. Tasks that stay human make up 84% of this job's task weight.
How can tile setters stay valuable as AI spreads?
Keep the hands-on setting work and use software for the paperwork. Use EasyCAD Iris 2D to preview layouts, then confirm the final fit manually. Lead customer picks with TileGem visuals and in-person consultations, and keep marble and granite cutting skills sharp, since those tasks are the hardest to automate.
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