Cement masons and concrete finishers are the group of construction workers that place and finish the concrete.  Interested persons can enter the field through a comprehensive apprenticeship program which includes technical training as well as on-the-job experience.   Apprenticeship programs are usually sponsored by unions and contractor associations and provide participants the opportunity for advancement and higher pay.

A typical cement mason apprenticeship is a three-year program and consists of 4,200 on-the-job hours and over 430 related classroom hours.  An applicant must be in good health and physically able to perform all phases of the work.  The technical training that an apprentice receives includes understanding the basics of concrete, concrete form work, concrete finishing as well as construction related math skills and blueprint reading.  The on-the-job training allows him/her to learn the tools of the trade with plenty of practical experience in finishing sidewalks, curb and gutter, floor slabs, and architectural concrete.

On large commercial concrete projects, cement masons and concrete finishers need to be able to follow directions from their supervisors and work well with the rest of the team on the jobsite.  Concrete finishers are often responsible for pouring the concrete into forms and constructing the foundations, slabs, sidewalks, roads, and other ground-level tasks.  The cement masons work with the finished forms and construct walls and other above-ground structures.   These jobs demand a high level of skill as well as understanding and using jobsite safety procedures.

Job opportunities for cement masons and concrete finishers increase dramatically during growth in building activity, and right now the outlook is extremely positive for steady employment.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 29% increase for cement masons and concrete finishers between the years of 2012 to 2022, which is a total of about 41,700 new jobs.

For more information on joining the Conco team take a look at our career page.

Conco is one of the leading concrete contractors in San Francisco offering a range of innovative, quality services.  We have been honored to work on many high-profile projects and were recently awarded the concrete contract for the San Francisco 49ers Stadium.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.