← UK Occupations
🇬🇧 UKSOC 5321· Skilled Construction and Building Trades

Plasterers

Plasterers apply dry linings, plaster and cement mixtures to walls and ceilings, fix fibrous sheets and cast and fix ornamental plasterwork to the interior or exterior of buildings.

Dry linerFibrous plastererPlastererPlastering contractor
£33,789
median salary
£27,623 –
46,500
currently employed
50,799
projected 2035
Declining
7 tasks scored7 Human-Led

Task Bundle Breakdown

How AI interacts with this occupation's task bundle

100%
0%
AI automates
0%
AI assists
100%
Human-led

Task-by-Task Breakdown

Every task scored individually — sorted highest to lowest AI exposure

33

pours liquid plaster into mould to cast ornamental plaster work

Human-Led

AI design tools like Midjourney could help visualise ornamental designs, but the physical pouring and casting process remains entirely manual and craft-based.

33

checks surface level using line, spirit level and straight edge

Human-Led

Digital levelling apps and smart tools can assist with surface checks, but interpreting results and making corrective adjustments still requires experienced human judgment on-site.

22

mixes, or directs the mixing of, plaster to desired consistency

Human-Led

AI could theoretically provide mixing ratios or consistency guidance via an app, but the physical act of mixing and adjusting in real-time requires tactile human judgment.

22

measures, cuts, installs and secures plaster board and/or ornamental plasterwork to walls and ceilings

Human-Led

AI-assisted measurement tools and apps can aid planning and layout calculations, but the physical installation and securing of boards requires skilled manual labour.

22

covers and seals joints between boards and finishes surface

Human-Led

AI can provide guidance on jointing techniques and product selection via reference apps, but the physical covering, sealing, and finishing of joints is a hands-on skill.

11

selects appropriate plasterboard or dry lining panels, cuts them to required size and fixes them to ceilings and walls

Human-Led

Selecting, cutting, and physically fixing plasterboard requires hands-on dexterity, spatial judgment, and physical presence that AI cannot replicate.

11

applies and smooths one or more coats of plaster and produces a finished surface, using hand tools or mechanical spray

Human-Led

Applying and smoothing plaster is a highly skilled manual task requiring tactile feedback and physical dexterity that current robotics and AI cannot perform reliably on-site.

ROI Calculator

Plasterers

1.9hrs
saved per week
90hrs
per year ≈ 2.4 weeks
£1,689
salary-equivalent capacity freed per year

This is not a pay rise — it's 90 hours of productive capacity that AI could return to you, valued at your current rate.

£0
value at risk — 0% of role exposed to AI

The portion of your current salary tied to tasks AI can automate or augment. Not a prediction of job loss — a signal of where your role is changing fastest.

How is this calculated?▾

Task weights — each task is weighted by its O*NET frequency rating. Where frequency data is absent, equal weighting is applied.

AI time reduction — tasks scored as "AI Automates" assume 80% time saving; "AI Assists" assumes 40%; "Human-Led" assumes 5%.

Salary equivalent — annual hours saved × (salary ÷ 1,800 working hours/year).

Value at risk — salary × share of role time in AI-automate or AI-assist tasks.

Figures are indicative estimates for planning purposes, not guarantees of productivity gain or job loss risk.