Plasterers

Most plasterers have a regular 40-hour workweek with occasional overtime when necessary to meet a contract deadline. Overtime work is usually compensated at the rate of one and a half times the regular hourly wage. The workday may start earlier than most (7:00 A.M.), but it also usually ends earlier (3:00 P.M.). Some plasterers face layoffs between jobs, while others may work with drywall or ceiling tile as required by their contractors when there is no plastering work to be done.

Most of the work is performed indoors, plastering walls and ceilings and forming and casting ornamental designs. Plasterers also work outdoors, doing stucco work and Exterior Insulated Finish Systems (exterior systems that include Styrofoam insulation board and two thin coats of polymer and acrylic modified materials). The outdoor weather conditions can consist of extreme heat or cold weather and the work can be in high, precarious places such as scaffolding and ladders.

Plasterers are also exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals. There is a risk of electrical shock vibration and other risks associated with the weight of heavy material, such as stone, brick or block. Plasterers are regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts and equipment such as saws, forklifts and vehicles The noise level in the work environment is usually loud. Plasterers must do a considerable amount of standing, stooping, and lifting. They often get plaster on their work clothes and dust in their eyes and noses.

Plasterers take pride in seeing the results of their work—something they have helped to build that will last a long time. Their satisfaction with progress on the job, day by day, may be a great deal more than in jobs where the worker never sees the completed product or where the results are less obvious.

As skilled workers, plasterers have higher earnings, better chances for promotion, and more opportunity to go into business for themselves than other workers. They also can usually find jobs in almost any part of the United States.