How much does a concrete finisher make in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, cement masons and concrete finishers earned an average of $22.70 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.49 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.70
$22.49
$28.87
$6.17 less an hour
$47,216
By the hour, the week and the year in North Carolina
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.70 an hour comes to $908.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $47,216 a year, and the median of $22.49 to $46,779 a year.
In North Carolina, the average is $0.21 above the median (0.9%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of cement masons and concrete finishers earn $22.49 an hour or less.
How does North Carolina compare?
The average in North Carolina is $6.17 below the national average of $28.87 (21.4% less), about $12,834 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, North Carolina ranks 47 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $27.41 an hour.
North Carolina and its Census division, South Atlantic
Of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade, North Carolina pays the lowest average, $22.70; the next is Georgia with $23.67.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $30.90 | $29.65 | +$8.20 |
| Delaware | $29.18 | $27.42 | +$6.48 |
| Maryland | $26.13 | $24.98 | +$3.43 |
| South Carolina | $26.03 | $23.73 | +$3.33 |
| Virginia | $25.43 | $24.49 | +$2.73 |
| Florida | $25.26 | $23.40 | +$2.56 |
| West Virginia | $24.33 | $24.98 | +$1.63 |
| Georgia | $23.67 | $22.23 | +$0.97 |
| North Carolina | $22.70 | $22.49 |
This trade and the others in North Carolina
Of the 5 trades this site prices, cement masons and concrete finishers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in North Carolina. Among them, the average runs from $16.07 (Cleaning) to $22.70 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against concrete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $22.70 | $22.49 | |
| Drywall | $21.66 | $21.67 | -$1.04 |
| Painting | $21.59 | $21.21 | -$1.11 |
| Landscaping | $19.04 | $18.22 | -$3.66 |
| Cleaning | $16.07 | $15.05 | -$6.63 |
Against the minimum wage in North Carolina
In North Carolina most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of cement masons and concrete finishers, $22.49, is $15.24 above it, 3.1 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 North Carolina, $22.49 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the concrete calculator cost $179.92 in wages. With its $444.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $789.26; 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.