How much does a concrete finisher make in Iowa?
In Iowa, cement masons and concrete finishers earned an average of $27.80 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $27.99 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$27.80
$27.99
$28.87
$1.07 less an hour
$57,824
By the hour, the week and the year in Iowa
At 40 hours a week, the average of $27.80 an hour comes to $1,112.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $57,824 a year, and the median of $27.99 to $58,219 a year.
In Iowa, the average is $0.19 below the median (0.7%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of cement masons and concrete finishers earn $27.99 an hour or more.
How does Iowa compare?
The average in Iowa is $1.07 below the national average of $28.87 (3.7% less), about $2,226 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Iowa ranks 28 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $27.41 an hour.
Iowa and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, Iowa ranks 3 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Minnesota, $34.00, and the lowest South Dakota, $23.46.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $34.00 | $32.13 | +$6.20 |
| Missouri | $30.84 | $29.51 | +$3.04 |
| Iowa | $27.80 | $27.99 | |
| Kansas | $27.32 | $25.06 | -$0.48 |
| North Dakota | $27.31 | $27.74 | -$0.49 |
| Nebraska | $25.17 | $23.80 | -$2.63 |
| South Dakota | $23.46 | $22.67 | -$4.34 |
This trade and the others in Iowa
Of the 5 trades this site prices, cement masons and concrete finishers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Iowa. Among them, the average runs from $15.88 (Cleaning) to $27.80 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against concrete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.80 | $27.99 | |
| Drywall | $25.59 | $24.53 | -$2.21 |
| Painting | $25.04 | $23.90 | -$2.76 |
| Landscaping | $19.84 | $18.71 | -$7.96 |
| Cleaning | $15.88 | $15.68 | -$11.92 |
Against the minimum wage in Iowa
In Iowa most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of cement masons and concrete finishers, $27.99, is $20.74 above it, 3.9 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $15,080 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 Iowa, $27.99 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the concrete calculator cost $223.92 in wages. With its $444.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $844.92; 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.