Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-2051.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $56,566
- Projected change
- +5.7%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 213.27K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
86.7% of the workforce
Growing to 225.42K by 2035
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The work
What cement masons and concrete finishers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete, and waterproof or restore surface.
- Operate power vibrator to compact concrete.
- Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel.
- Install anchor bolts, steel plates, door sills and other fixtures in freshly poured concrete or pattern or stamp the surface to provide a decorative finish.
- Waterproof or restore concrete surfaces, using appropriate compounds.
- Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine.
- Chip, scrape, and grind high spots, ridges, and rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisels, power grinders, or hand tools.
- Cut out damaged areas, drill holes for reinforcing rods, and position reinforcing rods to repair concrete, using power saw and drill.
- Wet concrete surface, and rub with stone to smooth surface and obtain specified finish.
- Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven.
- Build wooden molds, and clamp molds around area to be repaired, using hand tools.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $38,453
- 25th percentile
- $46,411
- 50th percentile
- $56,566
- 75th percentile
- $67,051
- 90th percentile
- $88,110
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $56,566 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.7%average or slower
2025213,273 jobs
2035 projected225,421 jobs
12,148 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 86.7%
- Certificate
- 12.7%
- Associate degree
- 0.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Concrete Finishers3,668 postings
- 02Concrete Laborers2,950 postings
- 03Concrete Foremen2,048 postings
- 04Concreters1,688 postings
- 05Concrete Superintendents1,207 postings
- 06Concrete Estimators994 postings
- 07Concrete Laborers/Finishers893 postings
- 08Concrete Construction Laborers762 postings
- 09Ready Mix Concrete Drivers601 postings
- 10Concrete Technicians497 postings
- 11Concrete Construction Interns412 postings
- 12Concrete Pump Operators400 postings
- 13Concrete Form Setters348 postings
- 14Concrete Cutting Operators253 postings
- 15Concrete Cutters208 postings
- 16Concrete Specialists165 postings
- 17Subcontractors147 postings
- 18Cement Finishers141 postings
- 19Concrete Masons128 postings
- 20Quality Control Technicians118 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek819 postings
- 02GPAC594 postings
- 03B&B Concrete426 postings
- 04Centimark Corporation401 postings
- 05Jp Tank Trucks171 postings
- 06Penhall Company164 postings
- 07Heico Companies158 postings
- 08Lithko Contracting153 postings
- 09Tradesmen International148 postings
- 10Smyrna Ready Mix139 postings
- 11Turner Construction Company121 postings
- 12Great Day Improvements119 postings
- 13Durable Surfaces100 postings
- 14Knife River96 postings
- 15Shea Concrete Products94 postings
- 16CRH plc90 postings
- 17CyberCoders89 postings
- 18Nibbi Brothers General Contractors84 postings
- 19Structural80 postings
- 20Express Employment Professionals75 postings
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