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Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers: Job Description
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.
The Daily Work of Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Perform?
The core tasks performed by cement masons and concrete finishers include:
- 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
Successful cement masons and concrete finishers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Cement Finisher
- Cement Gun Operator
- Cement Mason
- Cement Mason Concrete Finisher
- Cement Patcher
- Cementer
- Column Precaster
- Concrete Construction Laborer
How Many Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Are There?
There are about 102,467 cement masons and concrete finishers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +2.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Make?
| 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 |
Compensation varies 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 |
Where Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Earn the Most
Compensation for cement masons and concrete finishers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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
The largest employers of cement masons and concrete finishers work in these industries:
| 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
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of cement masons and concrete finishers tends to involve 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
How to Become Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Most cement masons and concrete finishers positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Where to Study
Students preparing for cement masons and concrete finishers commonly pursue programs in:
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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