How much does a concrete finisher make in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, cement masons and concrete finishers earned an average of $23.41 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.04 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.41
$23.04
$28.87
$5.46 less an hour
$48,693
By the hour, the week and the year in Tennessee
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.41 an hour comes to $936.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,693 a year, and the median of $23.04 to $47,923 a year.
In Tennessee, the average is $0.37 above the median (1.6%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of cement masons and concrete finishers earn $23.04 an hour or less.
How does Tennessee compare?
The average in Tennessee is $5.46 below the national average of $28.87 (18.9% less), about $11,357 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Tennessee ranks 46 of 51 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $27.41 an hour.
Tennessee and its Census division, East South Central
By average wage, Tennessee ranks 2 of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Kentucky, $25.22, and the lowest Mississippi, $20.90.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $25.22 | $24.14 | +$1.81 |
| Tennessee | $23.41 | $23.04 | |
| Alabama | $21.92 | $21.50 | -$1.49 |
| Mississippi | $20.90 | $21.14 | -$2.51 |
This trade and the others in Tennessee
Of the 5 trades this site prices, cement masons and concrete finishers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Tennessee. Among them, the average runs from $15.24 (Cleaning) to $23.90 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against concrete |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $23.90 | $22.84 | +$0.49 |
| Concrete | $23.41 | $23.04 | |
| Painting | $21.44 | $20.78 | -$1.97 |
| Landscaping | $18.56 | $17.80 | -$4.85 |
| Cleaning | $15.24 | $14.83 | -$8.17 |
Against the minimum wage in Tennessee
In Tennessee most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of cement masons and concrete finishers, $23.04, is $15.79 above it, 3.2 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 Tennessee, $23.04 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the concrete calculator cost $184.32 in wages. With its $444.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $794.82; 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.