Plasterer

Plasterers prepare walls and ceilings for decoration and finishing.

Salary Range: £14,000 to £30,000

How to become a plasterer

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

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, for a level 3 course

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• funding advice
• search for courses

Apprenticeship

You could 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

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• guide to apprenticeships

Work

You can often get started by working as a plasterer’s ‘mate’ or labourer. You may not need formal qualifications but some employers look for on-site experience.

More information

Registration

• you’ll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site

Further information

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

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You’ll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• knowledge of building and construction
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to work well with your hands
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• business management skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and requirements

You’ll need to:

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

What you’ll do

Day-to-day tasks

You’ll normally work in a team carrying out:

• solid plastering (applying wet finishes to surfaces and putting protective coverings like pebble-dash on outside walls)
• fibrous plastering (creating ornamental plasterwork like ceiling roses, cornices and architraves)
• dry lining (fixing internal plasterboard or wallboard partitions)

Working environment

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

Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress to supervisory jobs or move into related areas like tiling, estimating and site management.

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