Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers: Career Profile
Smooth and finish surfaces of poured concrete, such as floors, walks, sidewalks, roads, or curbs using a variety of hand and power tools. Align forms for sidewalks, curbs, or gutters; patch voids; and use saws to cut expansion joints.
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What Do Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Do?
Typical responsibilities of cement masons and concrete finishers span:
- Check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed.
- Set the forms that hold concrete to the desired pitch and depth, and align them.
- Spread, level, and smooth concrete, using rake, shovel, hand or power trowel, hand or power screed, and float.
- Monitor how the wind, heat, or cold affect the curing of the concrete throughout the entire process.
- Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
- Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms.
- Direct the casting of the concrete and supervise laborers who use shovels or special tools to spread it.
- Produce rough concrete surface, using broom.
What Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Need to Know
Effective cement masons and concrete finishers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Cement Finisher
- Cement Gun Operator
- Cement Mason
- Cement Mason Concrete Finisher
- Cement Patcher
- Cementer
- Column Precaster
- Concrete Construction Laborer
Job Outlook
There are roughly 102,467 cement masons and concrete finishers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +2.9% over the projection horizon.
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,122 |
| Hourly median | $28.42 |
| 10th percentile | $34,502 |
| 25th percentile | $46,812 |
| 75th percentile | $71,433 |
| 90th percentile | $83,743 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $94,950 |
| Hawaii | $89,550 |
| Illinois | $77,450 |
| Washington | $71,820 |
| California | $64,280 |
| Massachusetts | $63,920 |
| Minnesota | $63,610 |
| Wisconsin | $63,490 |
| New Jersey | $63,410 |
| New York | $63,020 |
| Oregon | $62,290 |
| Rhode Island | $62,250 |
| Ohio | $62,050 |
| District of Columbia | $60,860 |
| Colorado | $60,710 |
| Nevada | $60,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,790 |
| Connecticut | $59,740 |
| Indiana | $59,280 |
| Michigan | $59,170 |
| Vermont | $58,310 |
| Arizona | $57,360 |
| Missouri | $57,050 |
| North Dakota | $56,180 |
| Virgin Islands | $55,750 |
| Wyoming | $55,690 |
| Utah | $55,540 |
| Montana | $55,220 |
| Iowa | $54,650 |
| Maine | $53,730 |
| Delaware | $52,450 |
| Louisiana | $51,310 |
| New Hampshire | $51,290 |
| Kansas | $50,640 |
| Kentucky | $49,820 |
| Maryland | $49,390 |
| Idaho | $48,700 |
| New Mexico | $48,700 |
| Virginia | $48,510 |
| Nebraska | $48,070 |
| South Carolina | $47,430 |
| North Carolina | $47,370 |
| Georgia | $47,230 |
| West Virginia | $47,020 |
| Oklahoma | $46,940 |
| Texas | $46,730 |
| Florida | $46,460 |
| Tennessee | $46,460 |
| Arkansas | $46,020 |
| South Dakota | $45,150 |
| Mississippi | $44,460 |
| Alabama | $43,740 |
| Guam | $34,040 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,450 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for cement masons and concrete finishers vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $65,339 | 19.6% | 1.19 |
| Great Lakes | $64,697 | 12.8% | 0.93 |
| Middle Atlantic | $60,507 | 10.2% | 0.69 |
| New England | $60,031 | 1.8% | 0.40 |
| Rocky Mountains | $56,117 | 7.1% | 1.94 |
| Plains States | $54,379 | 11.3% | 1.88 |
| Southwest | $48,816 | 16.7% | 1.33 |
| Southeast | $46,908 | 19.7% | 0.91 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $94,950 | 70 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $90,120 | 520 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $83,810 | 100 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $83,580 | 60 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $82,190 | 4,120 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $78,520 | 140 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $76,650 | 2,740 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $75,690 | 1,620 |
Which Industries Hire Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Most cement masons and concrete finishers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 192,080 | $55,520 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5,250 | $48,580 |
| Manufacturing | 4,260 | $45,990 |
| Retail Trade | 350 | $44,810 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 340 | $66,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 250 | $39,480 |
| Educational Services | 250 | $63,810 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 220 | $52,500 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Use
- Information retrieval or search software: ACT Contractors Forms
- Analytical or scientific software: ADAPT-Modeler
- Project management software: Hard Dollar HD Project Estimating
- Analytical or scientific software: HIPERPAV
- Analytical or scientific software: LogicSphere Firstmix
- Project management software: Maxwell Systems Quest Estimator
- Project management software: National Concrete & Masonry Estimator
- Analytical or scientific software: Shilstone seeMIX
- Accounting software: Sirus GT Construction Accounting
- Project management software: Tradesman's Software Master Estimator
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of cement masons and concrete finishers reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Spend Time Standing
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
Education and Training
Typical cement masons and concrete finishers positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons (Primary-Short)
- Stonemasons (Primary-Long)
- Carpenters (Supplemental)
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles (Primary-Long)
- Tile and Stone Setters (Primary-Long)
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (Primary-Short)
- Construction Laborers (Primary-Short)
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Aspiring cement masons and concrete finishers often complete programs in:
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2051.00 (Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers).
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