Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
47-2051.00

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Cement Finisher, Cement Mason, Concrete Finisher, Concrete Mason, Finisher, Mason

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • 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.
  • Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms.
  • Direct the casting of the concrete and supervise laborers who use shovels or special tools to spread it.
  • Produce rough concrete surface, using broom.
  • Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete, and waterproof or restore surface.
  • Operate power vibrator to compact concrete.
  • 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.
  • Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel.
  • Waterproof or restore concrete surfaces, using appropriate compounds.
  • Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine.
  • Chip, scrape, and grind high spots, ridges, and rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisels, power grinders, or hand tools.
  • Cut out damaged areas, drill holes for reinforcing rods, and position reinforcing rods to repair concrete, using power saw and drill.
  • Wet concrete surface, and rub with stone to smooth surface and obtain specified finish.
  • Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven.
  • Build wooden molds, and clamp molds around area to be repaired, using hand tools.
  • Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish.
  • Fabricate concrete beams, columns, and panels.
  • Polish surface, using polishing or surfacing machine.
  • Cut metal division strips, and press them into terrazzo base so that top edges form desired design or pattern.
  • Push roller over surface to embed chips in surface.
  • Apply muriatic acid to clean surface, and rinse with water.
  • Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation, and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base.

back to top

Technology Skills

  • Accounting software — Sirus GT Construction Accounting
  • Analytical or scientific software — ADAPT-Modeler; HIPERPAV; LogicSphere Firstmix; Shilstone seeMIX
  • Information retrieval or search software — ACT Contractors Forms
  • Project management software — Hard Dollar HD Project Estimating; Maxwell Systems Quest Estimator; National Concrete & Masonry Estimator; Tradesman's Software Master Estimator

back to top

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
  • Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

back to top

Detailed Work Activities

back to top

Work Context

  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 96% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Spend Time Standing — 82% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Outdoors, Exposed to Weather — 84% responded “Every day.”
  • Exposed to Contaminants — 55% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 63% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 70% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Physical Proximity — 53% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
  • Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 51% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets — 86% responded “Every day.”
  • Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment — 59% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Spend Time Walking and Running — 57% responded “More than half the time.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 75% responded “Every day.”
  • Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 63% responded “Very high responsibility.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 64% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Very Hot or Cold Temperatures — 67% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body — 53% responded “More than half the time.”
  • Level of Competition — 49% responded “Highly competitive.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 27% responded “Very important.”
  • Contact With Others — 59% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 66% responded “Very high responsibility.”
  • Exposed to Hazardous Equipment — 56% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling — 33% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 61% responded “Very important results.”
  • Time Pressure — 52% responded “Every day.”
  • In an Open Vehicle or Equipment — 38% responded “Every day.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 62% responded “Every day.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 39% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Frequency of Conflict Situations — 30% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Consequence of Error — 44% responded “Extremely serious.”
  • Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance — 31% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 33% responded “Every day.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 26% responded “40 hours.”
  • Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings — 29% responded “Every day.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 32% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Exposed to Whole Body Vibration — 67% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
  • In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
  • Telephone — 55% responded “Every day.”
  • Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting — 32% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 34% responded “Extremely important.”

back to top

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Education
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Related Experience
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include food preparation workers, dishwashers, floor sanders and finishers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, and baristas.
SVP Range
(Below 4.0)

back to top

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
State licenses

back to top

Apprenticeship Opportunities

Example apprenticeship titles for this occupation:

  • Cement Mason (Alternate Title: Cement Mason Concrete Finisher)

Specific title(s) listed above are vetted by industry and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for use in a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Start your career and build your skillset. Visit Apprenticeship.gov external site to learn about opportunities related to this occupation.

back to top

Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

back to top

Knowledge

  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Building and Construction — Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

back to top

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 52%
     
    responded: Less than high school diploma required
  • 35%
     
    responded: High school diploma or equivalent requiredmore info
  • 13%
     
    responded: Post-secondary certificate required

back to top

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Manual Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Trunk Strength — The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Multilimb Coordination — The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Extent Flexibility — The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Dynamic Strength — The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Stamina — The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
  • Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
  • Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Static Strength — The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Depth Perception — The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Gross Body Coordination — The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Rate Control — The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Reaction Time — The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

back to top

Interests

Interest code: RC
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

back to top

Work Values

  • Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
  • Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

back to top

Work Styles

  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

back to top

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2022)
$23.22 hourly, $48,300 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2022)
206,200 employees
Projected growth (2022-2032)
Decline (-2% or lower)
Projected job openings (2022-2032)
14,200
State trends
Top industries (2022)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022 wage data external site and 2022-2032 employment projections external site. “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2022-2032). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

back to top

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

back to top

More Information

back to top

back to top