Plasterer (Wall and Ceiling)

A wall and ceiling plasterer fixes plasterboard to the walls and ceilings of homes and commercial buildings. The work includes setting out the layout, fitting insulation, cutting and lifting plasterboard sheets into place, fixing them to frames and battens, and building partition walls and suspended ceilings. The plasterer then covers joins and screw holes with tape and setting compound and sands them smooth. On commercial jobs this trade also installs fire rated and acoustic wall and ceiling systems, which need to be put in exactly as specified, while solid plastering and rendering is a separate ABS occupation.

Read plans and set out where walls, ceilings and openings will go. Fit insulation and vapour barriers before the plasterboard goes on. Measure, mark and cut plasterboard sheets to size. Lift sheets into place and fix them to walls, ceilings and battens. Fit corner beads to protect and straighten external corners. Cover joins and screw holes with tape and setting compound, then sand them smooth. Check that corners, walls and ceilings are straight, level and plumb. Install fire rated, acoustic and insulating linings and suspended ceiling systems.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is physical, with a lot of lifting heavy sheets, working overhead and time on ladders and scaffolds. Sanding creates fine dust, so good masks and dust control matter for your long term health. Work follows the building cycle, so it can be busy in a boom and quiet in a downturn. Many plasterers work as subcontractors, which can mean irregular income and finding your own next job.

Most work is in capital cities and growing regional areas where new homes, apartments and commercial buildings are going up. Renovation and repair work adds jobs in established suburbs and towns. The work is on building sites, so it can't be done remotely.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3332, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Clean painting equipmentcore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Calculate needs for construction supplies
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Incident Reporting
• Invoicing and Billing Administration
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Supplier Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Plasterer (Wall and Ceiling) workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 10 October 2026