Tile and Stone Setters

Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.

The occupation "Tile and Stone Setters" has an automation risk of 13.8%, which is only slightly below its base risk of 14.0%. This relatively low risk suggests that while certain parts of the job can be automated, a significant proportion still requires human expertise. Many of the day-to-day tasks involve hands-on craftsmanship and situations that are often unpredictable or unique, making them harder to fully automate using today’s technology. The assessment acknowledges the incremental advances in robotics and automation that could address some repetitive or precision-based tasks, but it also highlights that the broader duties of tile and stone setters remain resistant to complete automation. Looking at the specific tasks, the most automatable ones include “Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges,” “Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge,” and “Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.” These activities involve a high degree of repetition, measurable accuracy, and clearly defined steps, making them well-suited for robotic systems or automated tools. Advances in sensor technology and robotics allow machines to handle such tasks with increasing efficiency and precision, which explains why these have been identified as the most susceptible to automation in this field. In contrast, the tasks most resistant to automation require judgment, planning, and adaptability. These include “Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires, and brackets,” “Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications,” and “Brush glue onto manila paper on which design has been drawn and position tiles, finished side down, onto paper.” Each of these requires an understanding of design, adaptation to unique project requirements, and manual dexterity. The relatively low bottleneck skill percentages for Originality (2.8% and 2.9%) further highlight that, while technology may assist, the human creativity and flexibility needed for many tasks remain difficult for machines to replicate, fundamentally limiting the full-scale automation potential within this occupation.