Cement masons and concrete finishers
SOC Code: 47-2051
Cement masons and concrete finishers carries a 15% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $54,660 and +1.8% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 206,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 15% AI exposure, Cement masons and concrete finishers sits 22 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 2% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
60/100
Cement masons and concrete finishers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $54,660
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +1.8%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 15% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Cement masons and concrete finishers in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Cement masons and concrete finishers keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Cement masons and concrete finishers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Cement masons and concrete finishers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
15% Among the lowest lower than 98% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Cement masons and concrete finishers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Cement masons and concrete finishers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Cement masons and concrete finishers's Low automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 47-2051) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Cement masons and concrete finishers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Cement masons and concrete finishers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed.
- 2. Set the forms that hold concrete to the desired pitch and depth, and align them.
- 3. Spread, level, and smooth concrete, using rake, shovel, hand or power trowel, hand or power screed, and float.
- 4. Monitor how the wind, heat, or cold affect the curing of the concrete throughout the entire process.
- 5. Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
- 6. Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms.
- 7. Direct the casting of the concrete and supervise laborers who use shovels or special tools to spread it.
- 8. Produce rough concrete surface, using broom.
- 9. Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete, and waterproof or restore surface.
- 10. Operate power vibrator to compact concrete.
Key Skills Required
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Quality Control Analysis
- Time Management
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Operation and Control
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Foreign Language
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Cement masons and concrete finishers?
Cement masons and concrete finishers has an AI exposure score of 15%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Cement masons and concrete finishers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Cement masons and concrete finishers is projected to grow by 1.8% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 206,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Cement masons and concrete finishers?
Key skills for Cement masons and concrete finishers include Monitoring, Speaking, Coordination, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Cement masons and concrete finishers earn?
The median annual wage for Cement masons and concrete finishers is $54,660, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Cement masons and concrete finishers?
The typical entry-level education for Cement masons and concrete finishers is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Cement masons and concrete finishers?
Cement masons and concrete finishers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Cement masons and concrete finishers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (15% here).
- Construction laborers · AI exposure 15%
- Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining · AI exposure 15%
- Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers · AI exposure 15%
- Millwrights · AI exposure 15%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.8% here).
- Computer network support specialists · growth +1.8%
- Photographers · growth +1.8%
- Postsecondary teachers, all other · growth +1.8%
- Industrial production managers · growth +1.9%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 11 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Cement masons and concrete finishers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Cement masons and concrete finishers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).