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Plasterer

Plasterers apply plaster to walls and ceilings ready for decorating and finishing.

Annual Salary

£19,000 to £34,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

43 to 45 a week

You could work: between 8am and 6pm;

1.1%
Future employment

There will be 1.1% fewer Plasterer jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

You'll normally work in a team where you'll:

  • estimate the amount of materials needed for a job
  • prepare surfaces and level off uneven areas
  • mix plaster to the right consistency by hand or with an electric mixer
  • apply 'wet' finishes to walls and ceilings - solid plastering
  • create ornamental features like ceiling roses, cornices and architraves - fibrous plastering
  • fix internal plasterboard or wallboard partitions in rooms - dry lining
  • coat outside walls with protective coverings like pebble-dash or render

Working environment

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

You could work at a client's business, on a construction site or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be at height.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
College

You can do a college course that will teach you some of the skills needed for the job. Courses include:

  • Level 1 Award in Construction Skills Plastering
  • Level 2 Diploma in Plastering
  • Level 3 Advanced Technical Diploma in Plastering
  • T Level in On Site Construction

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
For more information
Apprenticeship

You can get into this career by taking an intermediate apprenticeship in plastering.

You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Work

You can begin working as a plasterer's labourer or 'mate'. You may not need formal qualifications but some employers look for on-site construction experience.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • have a good level of fitness
  • be able to cope with working at height

More information

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a plasterer from Go Construct and House Building Careers.

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With experience, you could move to a supervisory job, or into related areas like tiling, dry lining, estimating and site management.

You could also become self-employed and work as a sub-contractor.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • knowledge of building and construction
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • the ability to work well with others
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • business management skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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