Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers Salary
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers in California make a median of $62,700 a year, or about $30.15 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $59,073 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 60.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $63K get you in California?
About cement masons and concrete finishers
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What this looks like in California
Cement masons and concrete finishers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 58.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level cement masons and concrete finishers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers salary by metro in California
24 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto | $77K | +22% | 350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $76K | +21% | 2,420 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $76K | +20% | 1,500 |
| Napa | $74K | +18% | 250 |
| Salinas | $68K | +9% | 200 |
| Yuba City | $68K | +8% | 120 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $67K | +6% | 2,330 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $64K | +2% | 580 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $64K | +2% | 7,810 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $62K | -1% | 570 |
| Redding | $61K | -2% | 230 |
| Vallejo | $61K | -2% | 420 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $61K | -3% | 330 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $60K | -4% | 2,580 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $60K | -4% | 110 |
| Chico | $60K | -5% | 150 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $60K | -5% | 4,740 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $59K | -5% | 400 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $59K | -6% | 600 |
| Fresno | $58K | -8% | 980 |
| Visalia | $57K | -9% | 200 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $57K | -9% | 640 |
| Merced | $53K | -15% | 330 |
| El Centro | $53K | -16% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cement masons and concrete finisher afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 58.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cement masons and concrete finishers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cement masons and concrete finishers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,791/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 89% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cement masons and concrete finisher a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for cement masons and concrete finishers?
California pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cement masons and concrete finishers make in California?
The median is $62,700 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,510, and experienced cement masons and concrete finishers can clear $101,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,192/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 58.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cement masons and concrete finishers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cement masons and concrete finishers salary is worth about $59,073 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cement masons and concrete finishers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.