How much does a concrete finisher make in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, cement masons and concrete finishers earned an average of $26.03 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.73 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.03
$23.73
$28.87
$2.84 less an hour
$54,142
By the hour, the week and the year in South Carolina
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.03 an hour comes to $1,041.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $54,142 a year, and the median of $23.73 to $49,358 a year.
In South Carolina, the average is $2.30 above the median (9.7%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of cement masons and concrete finishers earn $23.73 an hour or less.
How does South Carolina compare?
The average in South Carolina is $2.84 below the national average of $28.87 (9.8% less), about $5,907 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, South Carolina ranks 35 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $27.41 an hour.
South Carolina and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, South Carolina ranks 4 of the 9 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is District of Columbia, $30.90, and the lowest North Carolina, $22.70.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $30.90 | $29.65 | +$4.87 |
| Delaware | $29.18 | $27.42 | +$3.15 |
| Maryland | $26.13 | $24.98 | +$0.10 |
| South Carolina | $26.03 | $23.73 | |
| Virginia | $25.43 | $24.49 | -$0.60 |
| Florida | $25.26 | $23.40 | -$0.77 |
| West Virginia | $24.33 | $24.98 | -$1.70 |
| Georgia | $23.67 | $22.23 | -$2.36 |
| North Carolina | $22.70 | $22.49 | -$3.33 |
This trade and the others in South Carolina
Of the 5 trades this site prices, cement masons and concrete finishers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in South Carolina. Among them, the average runs from $14.88 (Cleaning) to $26.03 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against concrete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $26.03 | $23.73 | |
| Drywall | $23.28 | $21.80 | -$2.75 |
| Painting | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$5.81 |
| Landscaping | $18.04 | $17.65 | -$7.99 |
| Cleaning | $14.88 | $14.55 | -$11.15 |
Against the minimum wage in South Carolina
In South Carolina most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of cement masons and concrete finishers, $23.73, is $16.48 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 South Carolina, $23.73 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the concrete calculator cost $189.84 in wages. With its $444.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $801.80; 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.