State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers earn a median of $57,020 per year ($27.41/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 1.8% through 2034, with about 14,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 47-2051Construction and ExtractionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $57,020
- Projected growth
- +1.8%
- Openings a year
- 14,300
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Cement Finisher, Cement Mason, Concrete Finisher, Concrete Mason, Finisher, Mason.
How much do Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers make?
10th percentile$39,190
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$47,010
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$57,020
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$66,870
Upper quartile
90th percentile$85,480
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $57,020 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $27.41/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $60,050 |
| People employed | 206,170 |
Versus all US occupations
At $57,020, Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers earn 12% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,040 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
The median is typical for the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $57,430.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $85,480 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,190, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 37% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Hawaii posts the highest raw median ($95,890), but once local prices are taken into account Alaska leads at $90,818 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $95,890 | $87,212 | 650 |
| Alaska | $92,960 | $90,818 | 240 |
| Illinois | $78,170 | $78,203 | 5,890 |
| Washington | $77,520 | $72,440 | 4,440 |
| Oregon | $68,530 | $66,302 | 2,170 |
| Minnesota | $66,830 | $67,764 | 3,070 |
| Wisconsin | $64,250 | $68,282 | 4,490 |
| New York | $64,040 | $59,340 | 9,060 |
| Massachusetts | $63,840 | $60,365 | 1,590 |
| Ohio | $62,990 | $67,896 | 6,060 |
Is Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher a growing career?
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers1.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers to change 1.8% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 3,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,300 openings are projected each year, 6.9% of the 206,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of masonry workers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Despite limited employment growth, about 20,700 openings for masonry workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of masonry workers varies by occupation (see table).
How to become a Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher
Masons typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade either through an apprenticeship or on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cement masons and concrete finishers.
- Less than a High School Diploma51.7%
- High School Diploma35.0%
- Post-Secondary Certificate12.7%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)0.6%
What does a Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher do?
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.
Masonry workers, also known as masons, use bricks, concrete and concrete blocks, and natural and manmade stones to build walkways, walls, and other structures.
Day-to-day tasks
- Check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed.
- Spread, level, and smooth concrete, using rake, shovel, hand or power trowel, hand or power screed, and float.
- Set the forms that hold concrete to the desired pitch and depth, and align them.
- Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms.
- Produce rough concrete surface, using broom.
- Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel.
- Chip, scrape, and grind high spots, ridges, and rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisels, power grinders, or hand tools.
- Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Monitoring3.3/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Mathematics2.6/5
- Reading Comprehension2.4/5
- Learning Strategies2.4/5
- Active Learning2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
- Operations Monitoring2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.5/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.3
Artistic1.7
Social1.0
Enterprising1.0
Conventionalprimary3.3
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher: frequently asked questions
How much do Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers make?
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers earn a median of $57,020 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 12% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $27.41/hr. The middle half earn between $47,010 and $66,870. The top 10% earn $85,480 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 51.7% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.8% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher do?
Masonry workers, also known as masons, use bricks, concrete and concrete blocks, and natural and manmade stones to build walkways, walls, and other structures. A core O*NET task: check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed.
Which states pay Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers the most?
The highest state medians for Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers are Hawaii ($95,890), Alaska ($92,960), Illinois ($78,170) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alaska moves to the top at $90,818.
What personality type suits a Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher?
O*NET scores Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.