How much does a concrete finisher make in California?
In California, cement masons and concrete finishers earned an average of $34.09 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $30.15 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$34.09
$30.15
$28.87
$5.22 more an hour
$70,907
By the hour, the week and the year in California
At 40 hours a week, the average of $34.09 an hour comes to $1,363.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $70,907 a year, and the median of $30.15 to $62,712 a year.
In California, the average is $3.94 above the median (13.1%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of cement masons and concrete finishers earn $30.15 an hour or less.
How does California compare?
The average in California is $5.22 above the national average of $28.87 (18.1% more), about $10,858 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, California ranks 7 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $27.41 an hour.
California and its Census division, Pacific
By average wage, California ranks 4 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Alaska, $48.08, and the lowest Oregon, $33.78.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $48.08 | $44.69 | +$13.99 |
| Hawaii | $41.09 | $46.10 | +$7.00 |
| Washington | $39.37 | $37.27 | +$5.28 |
| California | $34.09 | $30.15 | |
| Oregon | $33.78 | $32.95 | -$0.31 |
This trade and the others in California
Of the 5 trades this site prices, cement masons and concrete finishers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in California. Among them, the average runs from $22.08 (Cleaning) to $35.91 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against concrete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $35.91 | $31.67 | +$1.82 |
| Concrete | $34.09 | $30.15 | |
| Painting | $30.03 | $28.38 | -$4.06 |
| Landscaping | $22.80 | $21.90 | -$11.29 |
| Cleaning | $22.08 | $20.51 | -$12.01 |
Against the minimum wage in California
The minimum wage in California is $16.90 an hour for most employers. The median of cement masons and concrete finishers, $30.15, is $13.25 above it, 78.4% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,152 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in California, $30.15 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the concrete calculator cost $241.20 in wages. With its $444.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $866.78; at the national median, $27.41, the same job comes to $839.05. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.