How much does a concrete finisher make?
a year · about $27 an hour
A typical concrete finisher in the United States makes $57,020 a year, about $27 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
Concrete finishers set forms and guide the concrete truck, then spread and smooth the wet mix with rakes, screeds, and trowels. As it sets, they watch how wind, heat, or cold affect curing and shape edges or joints.
Did you know? Wind, heat, and cold can change how concrete cures, so finishers must keep watching the weather as they work.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $39,190 and $85,480How do you become one?
In the United States, finish high school or earn an equivalent credential, then learn through an apprenticeship or on the job with experienced masons; vocational training can help. Some cement-finisher apprenticeships require applicants to be at least 18.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, concrete finishers with more experience or useful certifications may earn more, and pay can differ by employer and location. Longer weeks or overtime can also change total earnings.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Hawaii ($95,890), lowest in Mississippi ($43,980).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $39,190 | $57,020 | $85,480 | about 206,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $95,890 | about 650 |
| Illinois | $78,170 | about 6,000 |
| Washington | $77,520 | about 4,000 |
| Oregon | $68,530 | about 2,000 |
| Minnesota | $66,830 | about 3,000 |
Official definition: 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. Installers of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units are classified in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” (37-3011).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/brickmasons-blockmasons-and-stonemas
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2051.00
- www.energy.gov/cmei/water/cement-mason-and-concrete-finisher
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- mvskilledtrades.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CM-Bi-Annual-News-Release-2025.pd
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY