Career profile · 47-2051
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.
What the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- English Language
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Scheduling Work and Activities
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 59.4%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 55.2%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 82.8%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 50.8%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Never | 62.4%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 82.4%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 96.4%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 52.3%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 86.0%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 78.2%08/2018 · sample 18 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Accounting software: Sirus GT Construction Accounting
- Analytical or scientific software: ADAPT-Modeler, HIPERPAV, LogicSphere Firstmix, Shilstone seeMIX
- Information retrieval or search software: ACT Contractors Forms
- Project management software: Hard Dollar HD Project Estimating, Maxwell Systems Quest Estimator, National Concrete & Masonry Estimator, Tradesman's Software Master Estimator
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for cement masons and concrete finishers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,720 | $21.50 | 2,110 |
| Alaska | $92,960 | $44.69 | 240 |
| Arizona | $58,910 | $28.32 | 7,520 |
| Arkansas | $46,230 | $22.23 | 1,900 |
| California | $62,700 | $30.15 | 28,700 |
| Colorado | $60,700 | $29.18 | 5,140 |
| Connecticut | $58,640 | $28.19 | 610 |
| Delaware | $57,030 | $27.42 | 400 |
| District of Columbia | $61,680 | $29.65 | 320 |
| Florida | $48,680 | $23.40 | 15,240 |
| Georgia | $46,240 | $22.23 | 3,400 |
| Hawaii | $95,890 | $46.10 | 650 |
| Idaho | $56,410 | $27.12 | 2,540 |
| Illinois | $78,170 | $37.58 | 5,890 |
| Indiana | $61,270 | $29.46 | 4,390 |
| Iowa | $58,220 | $27.99 | 2,110 |
| Kansas | $52,130 | $25.06 | 3,610 |
| Kentucky | $50,200 | $24.14 | 1,280 |
| Louisiana | $49,180 | $23.64 | 910 |
| Maine | $55,680 | $26.77 | 730 |
| Maryland | $51,950 | $24.98 | 2,540 |
| Massachusetts | $63,840 | $30.69 | 1,590 |
| Michigan | $59,860 | $28.78 | 6,350 |
| Minnesota | $66,830 | $32.13 | 3,070 |
| Mississippi | $43,980 | $21.14 | 930 |
| Missouri | $61,390 | $29.51 | 6,220 |
| Montana | $61,620 | $29.63 | 780 |
| Nebraska | $49,510 | $23.80 | 3,200 |
| Nevada | $61,230 | $29.44 | 3,290 |
| New Hampshire | $54,210 | $26.06 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $61,410 | $29.52 | 2,390 |
| New Mexico | $49,230 | $23.67 | 1,540 |
| New York | $64,040 | $30.79 | 9,060 |
| North Carolina | $46,780 | $22.49 | 4,610 |
| North Dakota | $57,710 | $27.74 | 1,190 |
| Ohio | $62,990 | $30.28 | 6,060 |
| Oklahoma | $45,750 | $22.00 | 2,980 |
| Oregon | $68,530 | $32.95 | 2,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,610 | $29.62 | 5,180 |
| Rhode Island | $62,950 | $30.26 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $49,360 | $23.73 | 1,930 |
| South Dakota | $47,160 | $22.67 | 2,550 |
| Tennessee | $47,910 | $23.04 | 3,920 |
| Texas | $47,500 | $22.84 | 26,430 |
| Utah | $56,420 | $27.13 | 5,340 |
| Vermont | $61,160 | $29.40 | 270 |
| Virginia | $50,930 | $24.49 | 4,020 |
| Washington | $77,520 | $37.27 | 4,440 |
| West Virginia | $51,950 | $24.98 | 760 |
| Wisconsin | $64,250 | $30.89 | 4,490 |
| Wyoming | $58,450 | $28.10 | 620 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 457 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers→
- Solar Energy Installation Managers→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
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 CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-2051.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.