Career profile · 47-2053
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
Apply a mixture of cement, sand, pigment, or marble chips to floors, stairways, and cabinet fixtures to fashion durable and decorative surfaces.
What the work can involve
- 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.
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
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
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
- Building and Construction
- Design
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Administration and Management
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
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Getting Information
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
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 | Contact with others most of the time | 37.1%07/2015 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 41.8%07/2015 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 73.3%07/2015 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Every day | 34.2%07/2015 · sample 23 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Never | 85.6%07/2015 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 86.3%07/2015 · sample 22 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 55.7%07/2015 · sample 22 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 88.6%07/2015 · sample 23 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 47.9%07/2015 · sample 22 |
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: CPR International GeneralCOST Estimator, Intuit QuickBooks, Sapro Systems Paymee
- Analytical or scientific software: Construction Management Software ProEst
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Project management software: CPR Visual Estimator, On Center Quick Bid
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
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 terrazzo workers and 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
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
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 7 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $41,430 | $19.92 | Not published |
| Florida | $49,500 | $23.80 | Not published |
| Illinois | $107,190 | $51.54 | Not published |
| Michigan | $72,450 | $34.83 | Not published |
| New Jersey | $57,550 | $27.67 | 100 |
| New York | $123,820 | $59.53 | Not published |
| Wisconsin | $57,930 | $27.85 | Not published |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 1 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
- Carpet Installers→
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers→
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles→
- Floor Sanders and Finishers→
- Solar Energy Installation Managers→
- Tile and Stone Setters→
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: 47-2053.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.