AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-2161.00
Will AI replace Plasterers and Stucco Masons?
Plasterers and Stucco Masons: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 15 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 15 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Plasterers and Stucco Masons, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Apply insulation to building exteriors by installing prefabricated insulation systems over existing walls or by covering the outer wall with insulation board, reinforcing mesh, and a base coat. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Mold or install ornamental plaster pieces, panels, or trim. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean job sites. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set up scaffolds. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Determine materials needed to complete the job and place orders accordingly. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Cure freshly plastered surfaces. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply weatherproof, decorative coverings to exterior surfaces of buildings, such as by troweling or spraying on coats of stucco. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Rough the undercoat surface with a scratcher so the finish coat will adhere. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Spray acoustic materials or texture finish over walls or ceilings. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 15 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 15. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 19% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 19% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 81% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 19,310
- Median annual wage
- $57,660
- Middle half of earners
- $47,970 to $71,310
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.1%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure14
- Stonemasons 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure15
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure16
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure19
- Tile and Stone Setters 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure20
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Plasterers and Stucco Masons and AI
Will AI replace Plasterers and Stucco Masons?
Not on current evidence. None of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 16 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Plasterers and Stucco Masons?
16 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 15 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Plasterers and Stucco Masons tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: 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, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 19% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 81% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Plasterers and Stucco Masons, and what do they earn?
19,310 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $57,660 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.1% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Plasterers and Stucco Masons. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/plasterers-and-stucco-masons
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