Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
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.
Also called: Cement Finisher, Cement Mason, Concrete Finisher, Finisher, Concrete Mason, Mason.
O*NET 47-2051.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $57,020
- Middle half earn $47,010 to $66,870. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Less than a High School Diploma
- 52% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Monitoring3.3 / 5
- Speaking3.1 / 5
- Active Listening3.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
- Mathematics2.6 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.4 / 5
Knowledge areas
- English Language3.7 / 5
- Building and Construction3.5 / 5
- Mathematics3.1 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.1 / 5
- Mechanical2.6 / 5
- Administration and Management2.6 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative22
- Artistic11
- Social0
- Enterprising0
- Conventional38
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- concrete finisher supervisor · DE Betonbaupolier/Betonbaupolierin · FR superviseur de finisseurs de béton/superviseuse de finisseurs de béton
- stonemason · DE Steinmetz/Steinmetzin · FR maçon pierre/maçonne pierre
- concrete finisher · DE Betonoberflächenfertiger/Betonoberflächenfertigerin · FR cimentier enduiseur/cimentière enduiseuse
- terrazzo setter · DE Terrazzomacher/Terrazzomacherin · FR carreleur spécialisé en terrazzo/carreleuse spécialisée en terrazzo
- block machine operator · DE Betonbauer/Betonbauerin · FR opérateur de machine à blocs de béton/opératrice de machine à blocs de béton
- concrete products machine operator · DE Betonmaschinist/Betonmaschinistin · FR opérateur de machine pour produits en béton/opératrice de machine pour produits en béton
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)53,100 employed
- Heavy and large goods vehicle drivers (8211)273,400 employed
- Stonemasons and related trades (5312)9,900 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €39,630 |
| Netherlands | €37,567 |
| Austria | €37,304 |
| Sweden | €36,005 |
| Germany | €34,433 |
| Ireland | €32,617 |
| France | €28,550 |
| Italy | €28,330 |
| Spain | €24,409 |
| Portugal | €11,309 |
| Poland | €10,259 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.78. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2051).
Related careers
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