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Plasterer

Skilled Trades

Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Architecture & Built Environment

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Cover surfaces such as windows, doors, or sidewalks to protect from splashing.
  2. 2Clean job sites.
  3. 3Mix mortar and plaster to desired consistency or direct workers who perform mixing.
  4. 4Set up scaffolds.
  5. 5Apply coats of plaster or stucco to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using trowels, brushes, or spray guns.
  6. 6Determine materials needed to complete the job and place orders accordingly.
  7. 7Cure freshly plastered surfaces.
  8. 8Install guide wires on exterior surfaces of buildings to indicate thickness of plaster or stucco and nail wire mesh, lath, or similar materials to the outside surface to hold stucco in place.
  9. 9Apply weatherproof, decorative coverings to exterior surfaces of buildings, such as by troweling or spraying on coats of stucco.
  10. 10Clean and prepare surfaces for applications of plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials, such as by drywall taping.
  11. 11Create decorative textures in finish coat, using brushes or trowels, sand, pebbles, or stones.
  12. 12Apply insulation to building exteriors by installing prefabricated insulation systems over existing walls or by covering the outer wall with insulation board, reinforcing mesh, and a base coat.
  13. 13Rough the undercoat surface with a scratcher so the finish coat will adhere.
  14. 14Spray acoustic materials or texture finish over walls or ceilings.
  15. 15Mold or install ornamental plaster pieces, panels, or trim.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Mason
  • Artisan
  • Modeler
  • Plasterer
  • Applicator
  • Stucco Mason
  • Dry Plasterer
  • Stucco Worker
  • Plaster Molder
  • Mason Plasterer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationLess than high school

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Building and Construction81%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Administration and Management65%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Design64%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • English Language61%

    English

  • Customer and Personal Service61%
  • Public Safety and Security59%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersA little
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Electrician (Chargeman)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Plasterers and Stucco Masons

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org