Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

Wages
In 2021, the average annual wage in a Alabama was $40,440 with most people making between $29,160 and $58,840
Wages by Industry
  • Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors $38,430.00
  • Other Specialty Trade Contractors $39,440.00
  • Nonresidential Building Construction $41,770.00
  • Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction $41,320.00
  • Residential Building Construction $40,500.00
  • Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing $33,290.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher
About the job

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.


What you'll do
    • Apply muriatic acid to clean surface, and rinse with water.
    • Build wooden molds, and clamp molds around area to be repaired, using hand tools.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine.
    • Polish surface, using polishing or surfacing machine.
    • Push roller over surface to embed chips in surface.
    • Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation, and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base.
    • Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish.
Things you need to know
    • 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.
    • Administration and Management – Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Mathematics – Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Design – Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Mechanical – Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
    • Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
    • Coordination – Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
    • Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
    • 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.
    • 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.