National
| Median wages (2008) |
$16.87 hourly, $35,080 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
222,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Average (7% to 13%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
89,000 additional employees |
47-2051.00 - 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; use saws to cut expansion joints.
Sample of reported job titles:
Concrete Finisher, Cement Mason, Finisher, Cement Finisher, Mason, Concrete Mason
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.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Batching plants or feeders — Center discharge floor hoppers; Collection hoppers; Round-gate concrete buckets; Slump buckets |
| Cement retainers — Form liners; Form tubes; Steel forms; Wooden forms |
| Concrete spreaders — Double-beam screeders; Finishing screeders; Walk-behind laser screeds; Wet screeds |
| Floats — Concrete floats; Rubber floats; Spreaders; Wood floats |
| Power saws — Chain saws; Concrete saws; Multipurpose saws; Ride-on saws |
| Trowels — Brick jointers; Low rider power trowels; Tuck-pointing trowels; Walk-behind power trowels |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Accounting software — Sirius GT software |
| Analytical or scientific software — ADAPT-Modeler; LogicSphere Firstmix software; Shilstone seeMIX |
| Information retrieval or search software — ACT Contractors Forms software |
| Project management software — BVH Gregg Concrete; Hard Dollar BID*BUILD; RESCOMM-M2004; Tradesmen's Software |
