Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
Also called: Cement Finisher, Cement Mason, Concrete Finisher, FinisherSmooth 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.
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What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 26 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 1.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 94% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,720 | $37,350 to $54,830 | 2,110 |
| Alaska | $92,960 | $92,210 to $113,020 | 240 |
| Arizona | $58,910 | $49,410 to $65,380 | 7,520 |
| Arkansas | $46,230 | $37,840 to $49,640 | 1,900 |
| California | $62,700 | $51,450 to $84,070 | 28,700 |
| Colorado | $60,700 | $49,070 to $65,940 | 5,140 |
| Connecticut | $58,640 | $48,540 to $65,330 | 610 |
| Delaware | $57,030 | $50,070 to $64,420 | 400 |
| District of Columbia | $61,680 | $57,540 to $70,720 | 320 |
| Florida | $48,680 | $45,660 to $57,270 | 15,240 |
| Georgia | $46,240 | $38,020 to $56,110 | 3,400 |
| Guam | $35,140 | $34,780 to $35,930 | 1,190 |
| Hawaii | $95,890 | $67,310 to $99,190 | 650 |
| Idaho | $56,410 | $47,680 to $61,050 | 2,540 |
| Illinois | $78,170 | $57,860 to $98,930 | 5,890 |
| Indiana | $61,270 | $48,510 to $70,770 | 4,390 |
| Iowa | $58,220 | $47,310 to $65,000 | 2,110 |
| Kansas | $52,130 | $46,080 to $62,620 | 3,610 |
| Kentucky | $50,200 | $44,550 to $61,720 | 1,280 |
| Louisiana | $49,180 | $40,650 to $62,400 | 910 |
| Maine | $55,680 | $45,110 to $62,480 | 730 |
| Maryland | $51,950 | $47,320 to $59,160 | 2,540 |
| Massachusetts | $63,840 | $55,880 to $78,210 | 1,590 |
| Michigan | $59,860 | $48,480 to $64,480 | 6,350 |
| Minnesota | $66,830 | $59,920 to $79,480 | 3,070 |
| Mississippi | $43,980 | $36,400 to $47,620 | 930 |
| Missouri | $61,390 | $48,370 to $73,370 | 6,220 |
| Montana | $61,620 | $54,220 to $64,890 | 780 |
| Nebraska | $49,510 | $46,970 to $59,820 | 3,200 |
| Nevada | $61,230 | $50,280 to $75,750 | 3,290 |
| New Hampshire | $54,210 | $48,390 to $65,790 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $61,410 | $54,830 to $74,900 | 2,390 |
| New Mexico | $49,230 | $45,180 to $60,000 | 1,540 |
| New York | $64,040 | $56,540 to $84,440 | 9,060 |
| North Carolina | $46,780 | $39,450 to $51,600 | 4,610 |
| North Dakota | $57,710 | $50,210 to $61,420 | 1,190 |
| Ohio | $62,990 | $49,170 to $76,680 | 6,060 |
| Oklahoma | $45,750 | $39,480 to $49,040 | 2,980 |
| Oregon | $68,530 | $57,930 to $82,860 | 2,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,610 | $50,050 to $69,050 | 5,180 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,000 | $26,670 to $34,410 | 480 |
| Rhode Island | $62,950 | $59,680 to $73,610 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $49,360 | $45,210 to $61,770 | 1,930 |
| South Dakota | $47,160 | $40,280 to $57,360 | 2,550 |
| Tennessee | $47,910 | $43,520 to $52,800 | 3,920 |
| Texas | $47,500 | $40,620 to $55,590 | 26,430 |
| Utah | $56,420 | $47,590 to $61,010 | 5,340 |
| Vermont | $61,160 | $50,690 to $64,510 | 270 |
| Virginia | $50,930 | $44,610 to $60,970 | 4,020 |
| Washington | $77,520 | $58,880 to $98,280 | 4,440 |
| West Virginia | $51,950 | $40,760 to $59,060 | 760 |
| Wisconsin | $64,250 | $59,080 to $79,650 | 4,490 |
| Wyoming | $58,450 | $50,640 to $62,970 | 620 |
Nationally: $57,020. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on none of its 26 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed. | Not published |
| Not much | Set the forms that hold concrete to the desired pitch and depth, and align them. | Not published |
| Not much | Spread, level, and smooth concrete, using rake, shovel, hand or power trowel, hand or power screed, and float. | Not published |
| Not much | Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms. | Not published |
| Not much | Produce rough concrete surface, using broom. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor how the wind, heat, or cold affect the curing of the concrete throughout the entire process. | Not published |
See all 26 tasks
| Not much | Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge. | Not published |
| Not much | Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete, and waterproof or restore surface. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct the casting of the concrete and supervise laborers who use shovels or special tools to spread it. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate power vibrator to compact concrete. | Not published |
| Not much | Chip, scrape, and grind high spots, ridges, and rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisels, power grinders, or hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut out damaged areas, drill holes for reinforcing rods, and position reinforcing rods to repair concrete, using power saw and drill. | Not published |
| Not much | Install anchor bolts, steel plates, door sills and other fixtures in freshly poured concrete or pattern or stamp the surface to provide a decorative finish. | Not published |
| Not much | Build wooden molds, and clamp molds around area to be repaired, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Waterproof or restore concrete surfaces, using appropriate compounds. | Not published |
| Not much | Wet concrete surface, and rub with stone to smooth surface and obtain specified finish. | Not published |
| Not much | Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish. | Not published |
| Not much | Polish surface, using polishing or surfacing machine. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply muriatic acid to clean surface, and rinse with water. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut metal division strips, and press them into terrazzo base so that top edges form desired design or pattern. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate concrete beams, columns, and panels. | Not published |
| Not much | Push roller over surface to embed chips in surface. | Not published |
| Not much | Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation, and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 26 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 26 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Apply decorative finishes | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions |
Show all 19 activities
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Direct construction or extraction activities | |||
| Operate construction or excavation equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for cement masons and concrete finishers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 3,042 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 7%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 4 Construction Laborers Low +7.3% 4%
- 5 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 1,971 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 11%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 3 Construction Laborers Low +7.3% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 5 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 52% less than high school
- 35% high school
- 13% postsecondary certificate
- 1% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 26 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 33% less than high school
- 46% high school
- 12% some college
- 7% associate's
- 2% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers” · 486 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers”
1 program: Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (CEMENT MASON; CEMENT MASON (Alternate Title: Cement Mason Concrete Finisher); CEMENT MASON CONCRETE FINISHER (Existing Title: Cement Mason)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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