Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
Also called: Terrazzo Finisher, Terrazzo Installer, Terrazzo Tile Setter, Terrazzo WorkerApply a mixture of cement, sand, pigment, or marble chips to floors, stairways, and cabinet fixtures to fashion durable and decorative surfaces.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 1 of its 26 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 13.0% 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 100% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $41,430 | $40,570 to $54,830 | not published |
| Florida | $49,500 | $46,860 to $64,600 | not published |
| Illinois | $107,190 | $98,180 to $107,350 | not published |
| Michigan | $72,450 | $68,380 to $75,560 | not published |
| New Jersey | $57,550 | $48,740 to $71,880 | 100 |
| New York | $123,820 | $106,300 to $126,130 | not published |
| Wisconsin | $57,930 | $56,880 to $59,740 | not published |
Nationally: $76,170. 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 1 of its 26 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| AI + software | Modify mixing, grouting, grinding, or cleaning procedures, according to type of installation or material used. | Not published |
| Not much | Wash polished terrazzo surface, using cleaner and water, and apply sealer and curing agent according to manufacturer's specifications, using brush or sprayer. | Not published |
| Not much | Grind surfaces with a power grinder, or polish surfaces with polishing or surfacing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Position and secure moisture membrane and wire mesh in preparation for pouring base materials for terrazzo installation. | Not published |
See all 26 tasks
| Not much | Clean installation site, mixing and storage areas, tools, machines, and equipment, and store materials and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth with a trowel. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Blend marble chip mixtures, place into panels, and push a roller over the surface to embed the chips. | Not published |
| Not much | Grind curved surfaces or areas inaccessible to surfacing machine, such as stairways or cabinet tops, with portable hand grinder. | Not published |
| Not much | Move terrazzo installation materials, tools, machines, or work devices to work areas, manually or using wheelbarrow. | 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 | Fill slight grinding depressions with matching grout material and hand-trowel for a smooth, uniform surface. | Not published |
| Not much | Chip, scrape, or grind high spots, ridges, or rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisel, hand chisel, or other hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, or straightedges. | 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 | Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair concrete by cutting out damaged areas, drilling holes for reinforcing rods, and positioning reinforcing rods, using power saw and drill. | Not published |
| Not much | Precast terrazzo blocks in wooden forms. | Not published |
| Not much | Build wooden molds, clamping molds around areas to be repaired, or setting up frames to the proper depth and alignment. | Not published |
| Not much | Wet concrete surface and rub with stone to smooth surface and obtain specified finish. | 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 |
| Not much | Remove frames when the foundation is dry. | 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 |
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 20 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 | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Apply decorative finishes | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections |
Show all 20 activities
| Plan work activities | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| 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 terrazzo workers and 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 in from
of 222 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 8%
- 3 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers Low +5.3% 7%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 5%
- 5 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
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
- 14% less than high school
- 70% high school
- 10% postsecondary certificate
- 6% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 17 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: Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker.
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 4 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Terrazzo Workers and 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
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/47-2053.00