Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
SOC: 47-2051.00

Description:

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.

National Salary Information:

Hourly Statistics:

Annual Statistics:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 wage data.

Employment Projections:

Employment (2014):
155,200 employed

Projected (2024):
175,500 employed

Projected growth (2014-2024)


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 2014-2024 employment projections external site. "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2014-2024). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Alternate Titles:

  • Block Mason
  • Cement Finisher
  • Cement Gun Operator
  • Cement Mason
  • Cement Mason Apprentice
  • Cement Patcher
  • Cementer
  • Column Precaster
  • Concrete Fence Builder
  • Concrete Finisher
  • Concrete Finisher Apprentice
  • Concrete Floater
  • Concrete Floor Installer
  • Concrete Grinder Operator
  • Concrete Mason
  • Concrete Placement Equipment Operator
  • Concrete Pointer
  • Concrete Polisher
  • Concrete Rubber
  • Concrete Smoother
  • Concrete Stone Finisher
  • Concrete Swimming Pool Installer
  • Curb Builder
  • Equipment Operator
  • Finisher
  • Float Operator
  • Floor Grinder
  • Joint Finisher
  • Joint Setter
  • Mason
  • Operator
  • Swimming Pool Installer

    • Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

    Experience:

    Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

    Education:

    These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

    Job Training:

    Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

    Required Skills:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis
  • Technology Design
  • Equipment Selection
  • Installation
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Troubleshooting
  • Repairing
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Time Management
  • Management of Financial Resources
  • Management of Material Resources
  • Management of Personnel Resources

    • Knowledge Used:

  • Administration and Management
  • Clerical
  • Economics and Accounting
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Production and Processing
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Design
  • Building and Construction
  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Psychology
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • Geography
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Foreign Language
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Law and Government
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media
  • Transportation

    • 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.
  • Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
  • Monitor how the wind, heat, or cold affect the curing of the concrete throughout the entire process.
  • Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms.
  • Produce rough concrete surface, using broom.
  • Operate power vibrator to compact concrete.
  • Direct the casting of the concrete and supervise laborers who use shovels or special tools to spread it.
  • Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine.
  • 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.
  • Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel.
  • Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven.
  • Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete, and waterproof or restore surface.
  • Chip, scrape, and grind high spots, ridges, and rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisels, power grinders, or hand tools.
  • Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation, and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base.
  • 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.
  • Cut metal division strips, and press them into terrazzo base so that top edges form desired design or pattern.
  • Fabricate concrete beams, columns, and panels.
  • Waterproof or restore concrete surfaces, using appropriate compounds.
  • 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.
  • Apply muriatic acid to clean surface, and rinse with water.
  • Push roller over surface to embed chips in surface.
  • Polish surface, using polishing or surfacing machine.

    • Tools & Technology:

  • Abrasive blades
  • Abrasive rubbing stones
  • Aluminum floats
  • Bar benders
  • Bar cutters
  • Barrel mounted sprayers
  • Bit spades
  • Braces
  • Brick hammers
  • Brick jointers
  • Brick splitters
  • Brick tongs
  • Brick trowels
  • Bump cutters
  • Cement trowels
  • Center discharge floor hoppers
  • Chain saws
  • Channel floats
  • Cold chisels
  • Collection hoppers
  • Combo buckets
  • Compression sprayers
  • Concrete chutes
  • Concrete finishing brushes
  • Concrete floats
  • Concrete mixers
  • Concrete pumps
  • Concrete routers
  • Concrete saws
  • Concrete spreaders
  • Concrete tampers
  • Concrete texture rollers
  • Concrete vibrators
  • Core drills
  • Crack saws
  • Crowbars
  • Cure sprayers
  • D handle shovels
  • Desktop computers
  • Diamond blades
  • Diesel concrete saws
  • Double-beam screeders
  • Drain spades
  • Driveway squeegees
  • Dumper riders
  • Dust respirators
  • Edgers
  • Edging trowels
  • Electric generators
  • Elephant trunks
  • Finishing screeders
  • Form braces
  • Form liners
  • Form tubes
  • Fresno trowels
  • Gas concrete saws
  • Gas generators
  • General purpose concrete buckets
  • Glittermaster guns
  • Grapevine jointers
  • Grinders
  • Groovers
  • Grout mixers
  • Grout pumps
  • Gutter forms
  • Hammers
  • Hand clamps
  • High-speed saws
  • Hydraulic concrete breakers
  • Hydraulic material spreaders
  • Internal concrete vibrators
  • Jitterbug tampers
  • Ladders
  • Lifting systems
  • Lightweight laydown buckets
  • Long handle shovels
  • Low rider power trowels
  • Magnesium channel bull floats
  • Masonry saws
  • Masons jointers
  • Masons levels
  • Measuring tapes
  • Measuring wheels
  • Mortar and plaster mixers
  • Multipurpose saws
  • Notched trowels
  • Notebook computers
  • Pavement stripers
  • Personal digital assistants PDA
  • Pneumatic air nailers
  • Pointing trowels
  • Pool trowels
  • Portable gas drills
  • Post hole diggers
  • Power floats
  • Power troweler blades
  • Pry bars
  • Rebar benders
  • Rebar cutters
  • Ride-on concrete breakers
  • Ride-on concrete buggies
  • Ride-on saws
  • Ride-on trowels
  • Right angle grinders
  • Rock hoppers
  • Roller tube finishers
  • Roofing buckets
  • Round end trowels
  • Round point shovels
  • Round-gate concrete buckets
  • Rubber floats
  • Scarifiers
  • Screeds
  • Screwdrivers
  • Sidewalk forms
  • Slipform curbing pavers
  • Slipforming machines
  • Slump buckets
  • Spirit levels
  • Spreaders
  • Square point shovels
  • Steel forms
  • Steel trowels
  • Stippling brushes
  • Straightedges
  • Surface concrete vibrators
  • Tile setter trowels
  • Torpedo levels
  • Transit mix deflectors
  • Truss screeds
  • Tuck-pointing trowels
  • Utility knives
  • Vibrating concrete screeds
  • Vibrating wet screeds
  • Walk-behind concrete breakers
  • Walk-behind concrete buggies
  • Walk-behind laser screeds
  • Walk-behind power trowels
  • Water pumps
  • Wet screeds
  • Wheelbarrows
  • Wood floats
  • Wooden forms
  • ACT Contractors Forms software
  • ADAPT-Modeler
  • Hard Dollar HD Project Estimating
  • HIPERPAV
  • LogicSphere Firstmix software
  • Maxwell Systems Quest Estimator
  • National Concrete & Masonry Estimator
  • Shilstone seeMIX
  • Sirius GT software
  • Tradesman's Software Master Estimator

    • construction and extraction

    industry stats

    SOC: 47-0000

    Total Employed: 5,477,820

    Average Annual Salary: $47,580