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Terrazzo Workers and Finishers: Career Profile

Apply a mixture of cement, sand, pigment, or marble chips to floors, stairways, and cabinet fixtures to fashion durable and decorative surfaces.

What Do Terrazzo Workers and Finishers Do?

Typical responsibilities of terrazzo workers and finishers cover:

• Measure designated amounts of ingredients for terrazzo or grout, according to standard formulas and specifications, using graduated containers and scales, and load ingredients into portable mixer.
• Grind surfaces with a power grinder, or polish surfaces with polishing or surfacing machines.
• Cut metal division strips and press them into the terrazzo base for joints or changes of color to form designs or patterns or to help prevent cracks.
• Blend marble chip mixtures, place into panels, and push a roller over the surface to embed the chips.
• Modify mixing, grouting, grinding, or cleaning procedures, according to type of installation or material used.
• Spread, level, or smooth concrete or terrazzo mixtures to form bases or finished surfaces, using rakes, shovels, hand or power trowels, hand or power screeds, or floats.
• Grind curved surfaces or areas inaccessible to surfacing machine, such as stairways or cabinet tops, with portable hand grinder.
• Wash polished terrazzo surface, using cleaner and water, and apply sealer and curing agent according to manufacturer's specifications, using brush or sprayer.

What Terrazzo Workers and Finishers Need to Know

Successful terrazzo workers and finishers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Related Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

• Artificial Marble Worker
• Build Master
• Buildmaster
• Coat Agent
• Concrete Journeyman
• Finisher
• Granite-Chip Terrazzo Finisher
• Grinder

Employment and Demand

The U.S. employs around 345,346 terrazzo workers and finishers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.

Terrazzo Workers and Finishers Pay

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$37,980
Hourly median	$18.26
10th percentile	$22,398
25th percentile	$30,189
75th percentile	$45,770
90th percentile	$53,561

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

How Much Do Terrazzo Workers and Finishers Make in Different U.S. States?

State	Annual median salary
Illinois	$104,510
New York	$72,570
Connecticut	$52,660
Florida	$50,810
Texas	$50,190
California	$40,330

Pay by U.S. Region

Compensation for terrazzo workers and finishers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Middle Atlantic	$72,570	40.8%	2.24
Southwest	$50,190	14.3%	0.53
Far Western US	$40,330	44.9%	1.32

Top Metro Areas

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	NY	$73,730	170

Industry Breakdown

Most terrazzo workers and finishers are concentrated in the following sectors:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Construction	1,430	$57,140

Terrazzo Workers and Finishers work in the following industries:

Tools and Technology

• Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

Daily working conditions for terrazzo workers and finishers is shaped by the following characteristics:

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
• Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
• Spend Time Standing
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Education and Training

Most terrazzo workers and finishers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Similar Occupations

• Brickmasons and Blockmasons (Primary-Long)
• Stonemasons (Primary-Short)
• Carpenters (Supplemental)
• Carpet Installers (Supplemental)
• Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles (Primary-Short)
• Floor Sanders and Finishers (Primary-Long)
• Tile and Stone Setters (Primary-Short)
• Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (Primary-Short)

Degree Programs

Future terrazzo workers and finishers often complete programs in:

Construction Trades

1 programs across 1 majors

• Building Management & Inspection

Sources

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: 47-2053.00 (Terrazzo Workers and Finishers).