How much does a concrete finisher make in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, cement masons and concrete finishers earned an average of $25.22 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.14 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.22
$24.14
$28.87
$3.65 less an hour
$52,458
By the hour, the week and the year in Kentucky
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.22 an hour comes to $1,008.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,458 a year, and the median of $24.14 to $50,211 a year.
In Kentucky, the average is $1.08 above the median (4.5%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of cement masons and concrete finishers earn $24.14 an hour or less.
How does Kentucky compare?
The average in Kentucky is $3.65 below the national average of $28.87 (12.6% less), about $7,592 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Kentucky ranks 40 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $27.41 an hour.
Kentucky and its Census division, East South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Kentucky pays the highest average, $25.22; next comes Tennessee with $23.41.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $25.22 | $24.14 | |
| Tennessee | $23.41 | $23.04 | -$1.81 |
| Alabama | $21.92 | $21.50 | -$3.30 |
| Mississippi | $20.90 | $21.14 | -$4.32 |
This trade and the others in Kentucky
Of the 5 trades this site prices, cement masons and concrete finishers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Kentucky. Among them, the average runs from $15.35 (Cleaning) to $25.22 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against concrete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.22 | $24.14 | |
| Painting | $24.72 | $23.13 | -$0.50 |
| Drywall | $23.13 | $23.24 | -$2.09 |
| Landscaping | $18.34 | $17.63 | -$6.88 |
| Cleaning | $15.35 | $14.85 | -$9.87 |
Against the minimum wage in Kentucky
In Kentucky most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of cement masons and concrete finishers, $24.14, is $16.89 above it, 3.3 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 Kentucky, $24.14 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the concrete calculator cost $193.12 in wages. With its $444.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $805.95; 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.