Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
What Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- English Languageimportance 3.7/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.5/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.6/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.6/5
- Transportationimportance 2.5/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 2.3/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.9/5
- Spend Time Standing4.8/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.8/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.5/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers95% skill match
- Fence Erectors94% skill match
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers93% skill match
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers93% skill match
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers92% skill match
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators92% skill match
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners92% skill match
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand91% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- ACT Contractors Forms
- ADAPT-Modeler
- HIPERPAV
- Hard Dollar HD Project Estimating
- LogicSphere Firstmix
- Maxwell Systems Quest Estimator
- National Concrete & Masonry Estimator
- Shilstone seeMIX
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where cement masons and concrete finishers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Rapid City, SD4.77× national avg
- 2St. George, UT4.33× national avg
- 3Sioux Falls, SD-MN4.32× national avg
- 4Merced, CA3.11× national avg
- 5Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT3.00× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Terrazzo Workers and FinishersLateral Move
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble SettersLateral Move
- RoofersLateral Move
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersLateral Move
See the full career path from Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.