Construction and Extraction

Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

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.

MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES

A wage reference for United States.

Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.

Source wage group: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.

May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.

Median annual wage$57,020USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$27.41USD per hour · Published 50th percentile

Annual wage thresholds

USD per year

Hourly wage thresholds

USD per hour

Published occupational wage percentiles · United States · May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage (USD/year)Hourly wage (USD/hour)
10th$39,190$18.84
25th$47,010$22.60
50th · Median$57,020$27.41
75th$66,870$32.15
90th$85,480$41.10

“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.

PUT A WAGE IN CONTEXT

Where does your number sit?

Compare an entered wage with the published thresholds for United States. Your entry stays on this page.

This compares wage amounts to published percentile thresholds. It does not estimate your personal percentile, adjust for your experience, or compare total compensation. Match the wage definition and occupation group before using the result.

THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE

What this career involves.

Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.

Selected title examples

Cement FinisherCement Gun OperatorCement MasonCement Mason Concrete FinisherCement PatcherCementerColumn PrecasterConcrete Construction LaborerConcrete CutterConcrete Cutting OperatorConcrete Fence BuilderConcrete Finisher
Expand more title examples (25)
Concrete FloaterConcrete Floor InstallerConcrete Form SetterConcrete Grinder OperatorConcrete LaborerConcrete MasonConcrete Placement Equipment OperatorConcrete PointerConcrete PolisherConcrete RubberConcrete SetterConcrete SmootherConcrete SpecialistConcrete Stone FinisherConcrete Swimming Pool InstallerConcrete Technician (Concrete Tech)Curb BuilderFinisherFloat OperatorFloor GrinderJoint FinisherJoint SetterMasonPlacement SpecialistSwimming Pool Installer

Typical tasks

  • 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.
Expand more tasks (20)
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel.
  • 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.
  • Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish.
  • Fabricate concrete beams, columns, and panels.
  • Polish surface, using polishing or surfacing machine.
  • Cut metal division strips, and press them into terrazzo base so that top edges form desired design or pattern.
  • Push roller over surface to embed chips in surface.
  • Apply muriatic acid to clean surface, and rinse with water.
  • Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation, and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base.

Skills used in this work

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.
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.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
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.
Expand more skills (29)
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.
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.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
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.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
FIND YOUR MARKET

Explore wages by location.

0 retained state and local wage references are available. Start with these selected locations, or search the full market directory for this career.

United States wage reference

Local wage references are not retained for this occupation. The national view and employer evidence may still help.

Browse all wage markets

Available links reflect retained source coverage for this career.

TURN CONTEXT INTO A NEXT STEP

Find the next step that fits.

Look at current disclosed job ranges, explore supported employer salary evidence, or build a proposed hiring range with your own assumptions.

Sources and citation.

Cite this page: Wages.fyi, “Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers career and wage guide.” Link to this Wages.fyi page

This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wages.fyi has selected and organized this information and added wage navigation and explanations. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Database license and attribution requirements.

Official occupation profile · Official wage reference . Wage reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service. Source data and publication dates can differ from the date this page is accessed.