Plasterer (Wall and Ceiling)
What the work is
Applies and fixes plasterboard partitions, suspended ceilings, fire rating systems, acoustic ceiling panels and composite wall linings to buildings.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Determines plasterboard layout, and installs insulation and vapour barriers
- Measures, marks and cuts plasterboard, lifts and positions panels, and secures them to walls, ceilings and battens
- Prepares corner beads and secures them into position
- Covers joins and nail holes with wet plaster, joint tape and sealing compound, then smooths them using wet brush and sandpaper
- Plumbs and straightens corners, angles and wall ceiling surfaces
- Applies and finishes acoustic, insulating and fireproofing materials bonded with plaster, plastic cement and similar materials
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in plastering crews working inside new homes and renovated offices, and rendering the outside of houses. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A whole ceiling sets smooth as glass, and you cannot find a single join
- A bare brick wall becomes a clean white face in one confident afternoon
- Matching an old decorative cornice so well the owner thinks it is original
Hard days
- Rendering a tall wall under a hot sun, when the mix starts setting too fast
- A ceiling that someone else has hung badly, now yours to make look right
- A rain forecast that arrives early, with half a wall still wet
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 362231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.