73100 – Concrete finishers
Lead statement
Concrete finishers smooth and finish freshly poured concrete, apply curing or surface treatments and install, maintain and restore various masonry structures such as foundations, floors, ceilings, sidewalks, roads, patios and highrise buildings. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
- Check formwork, granular base and steel reinforcement materials and direct placement of concrete into forms or onto surfaces according to grade
- Fill hollows and remove high spots to smooth freshly poured concrete
- Operate power vibrator to compact concrete
- Level top surface of concrete according to grade and depth specifications using straightedge or float
- Impart desired finish to concrete surfaces using hand and power tools
- Install anchor bolts, steel plates, door sills and other fixtures in freshly poured concrete
- Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete
- Waterproof, damp-proof and restore concrete surfaces
- Repair, resurface and replace worn or damaged sections of floors, walls, roads and other concrete structures.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a two- to four-year apprenticeship program orover three years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in cement finishing are usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
- Trade certification for concrete finishers is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
- Trade certification for cement masons is available, but voluntary, in Ontario.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified concrete finishers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Example job titles
apprentice cement finisher · cement finisher apprentice · cement finisher · highway and street cement mason · maintenance cement mason · concrete finisher · concrete floor finisher · concrete mason · concrete patcher-finisher · precast concrete finisher · concrete smoother-finisher · journeyman/woman cement finisher · sidewalk concrete finisher · cement mason · concrete product finisher · concrete polisher · cement mason apprentice · concrete finisher apprentice
Wages (per hour)
| Province / territory | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $24.50 | $34.00 | $43.47 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $23.00 | $32.90 | $42.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $19.50 | $25.00 | $30.34 |
| New Brunswick | $20.00 | $25.00 | $30.00 |
| Quebec | $28.00 | $38.00 | $43.00 |
| Ontario | $25.00 | $35.70 | $45.59 |
| Manitoba | $22.00 | $30.00 | $36.46 |
| Saskatchewan | $21.50 | $27.30 | $36.00 |
| Alberta | $25.00 | $32.00 | $41.00 |
| British Columbia | $26.00 | $35.00 | $43.05 |
Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Occupation details: ESDC OaSIS 2025, based on NOC 2021.