Skilled Trades
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.
Median salary
$54,660
Typical range
$38k – $88k
Job outlook
+2% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Entry / Junior
$38,290
~2 yrs to advance
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Established
$54,660
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Senior
$71,140
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.