Home / New Jersey / Essex County / Tile Setter
Essex County, NJ · Tile Setter
Tile Setter prevailing wage in Essex County, New Jersey
$85.25an hour, base wage + fringe benefits · Finisher
$50.74 base wage + $34.51 fringe benefits
Essex County uses the same tile setter rates as 12 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On New Jersey public works in Essex County, a tile setter working as finisher must be paid at least $85.25 an hour: a $50.74 base wage plus $34.51 in fringe benefits.
NJDOL county packages of October 19, 2026; this rate, effective June 1, 2026. Rates are those in effect when the contract is awarded, plus every pre-determined increase listed then, from its date (NJDOL FAQ). Checked against nj.gov on October 25, 2026.
NJDOL lists 2 tile setter rates for Essex County, from $85.25 to $103.48 an hour. See all of them.
NJDOL's posted rates are informational. The public body obtains the project's official determination, and it goes in the contract.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $50.74 + $34.51
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. NJDOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $50.74 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $34.51 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $85.25 |
When does this rate change?
- The rates in effect on the date the contract is awarded apply, plus every pre-determined increase listed then, from its date. A later posting doesn't change an awarded job (NJDOL FAQ). Rates marked expired "remain in effect" until new ones are posted.
- NJDOL reissues a county's package whenever a union agreement changes. This page uses the packages of October 19, 2026 (NJDOL current rates).
Every tile setter rate in Essex County
As NJDOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $34.51 | $85.25 | Jun 1, 2026 |
| Tile Setter - Ceramic: Setter | $65.59 | $37.89 | $103.48 | Jun 1, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon tile setter rate in Essex County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. Where both Davis-Bacon and the New Jersey Act apply, "whichever rate is higher must be paid" (NJDOL FAQ).
We don't put a federal figure next to NJDOL's here, because this page leads with a classification the federal determinations don't list one to one. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | TILE SETTERBRNJ0007-022 | $64.90 | $102.18 | NJ20260031 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. New Jersey Davis-Bacon changes
How Essex County compares
The main tile setter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in New Jersey
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Essex Countybase $50.74$85.25
- Union Countybase $50.74$85.25
- Hudson Countybase $50.74$85.25
- Ocean Countybase $44.17$77.00
Tile Setter rates in nearby counties
Current NJDOL rates. Rates "are generally set for each of the State's twenty-one (21) counties", and some crafts are statewide (NJDOL FAQ).
NJDOL's tile setter rates for Essex County are the same as in 12 other counties: Bergen, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic and 4 more. The closest county with a different rate is Ocean County, at $77.00.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Essex County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | |
| Union County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | same |
| Hudson County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | same |
| Bergen County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | same |
| Morris County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | same |
| Passaic County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | same |
| Somerset County | Tile Setter - Ceramic: Finisher | $50.74 | $85.25 | same |
New Jersey tile setter prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from NJDOL on this rate
- NJDOL NJDOL county package, page 64
- NJDOL's current prevailing wage rates
- These are journeyman rates. Apprentices registered with the U.S. Office of Apprenticeship get the percentage in the craft's apprentice schedule, with full benefits unless noted.
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your wage to what your employer pays into benefits for you, or pays you in cash each payday, and compare it with the total. Rates for every craft, including future increases, must be posted on site, and certified payroll goes to NJDOL within 10 days of payday (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.29). NJDOL Public Contracts: (609) 292-2259.
Source
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), NJDOL county package NJDOL-20261019-essex, issued October 19, 2026, effective June 1, 2026, page 64: lwdwebpt.dol.state.nj.us/archivewages/292125119-essex-10-19-2026.pdf
We read every county package of October 19, 2026, including its statewide pages, and check every number with a second, separate reader. Wage plus benefit equals NJDOL's printed total on every step that prints both. How we check · Download Essex County as CSV · Report an error