Construction Trades Workers

How to become a Cement Masons and Concrete Finisher

Official title: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

Also called: Cement Finisher, Cement Mason, Concrete Finisher, Concrete Mason, Finisher, Mason

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Masons typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade either through an apprenticeship or on the job.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Cement Mason.
Licence: A licence is required in 5 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $57,020 a year The middle half earn $47,010 to $66,870.
About 204,800 people work in this job now, and about 208,100 are projected by 2035. (+1.6%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Cement Masons and Concrete Finisher?

Masons typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade either through an apprenticeship or on the job.

How much does a Cement Masons and Concrete Finisher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $57,020 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,010 to $66,870.

Is a Cement Masons and Concrete Finisher a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 204,800 people now and 208,100 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Cement Masons and Concrete Finisher?

Usually not. Only 3% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Cement Mason.

Will AI change the work of a Cement Masons and Concrete Finisher?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.