How much do cement masons make in Florida in 2026?

The median cement mason in Florida earns $48,680 a year, which works out to about $23.40 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Florida's cement masons earn more, half earn less. Where you land depends on experience, employer, and which part of the state you're working in.

The pay spread across the trade tells the real story. At the 25th percentile, cement masons take home $45,660 a year, or roughly $21.95 an hour. These are typically workers earlier in their careers or those working for smaller outfits on lighter commercial and residential work. At the 75th percentile, pay jumps to $57,270 annually — about $27.53 an hour. That $11,610 gap between the bottom quarter and the top quarter is meaningful, and it's largely explained by years on the tools, specialty skills, and the type of work being performed.

Florida's construction volume is a direct driver of cement mason demand. The state runs a heavy calendar of infrastructure projects, highway work, tilt-wall commercial construction, and high-rise pours in coastal metros. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and the Tampa Bay corridor consistently produce the highest concentration of concrete work in the state. Workers based in those markets, or willing to travel to them, tend to find steadier hours and higher-paying jobs than those limited to smaller inland markets.

Overtime is a real part of this trade's math in Florida. Concrete doesn't wait — pours happen on schedules set by mix trucks, not the clock. A worker logging 48 to 55 hours a week during a busy season can push effective annual earnings well above what a straight hourly rate suggests. The 75th-percentile figure here reflects base pay, not total compensation with overtime, so actual take-home for a busy finisher can clear that threshold comfortably.

Experience and skill mix matter more than a resume in this trade. Cement masons who can hand-finish decorative and exposed aggregate concrete, operate power trowels on large slabs, set forms accurately, and read plans without supervision command the better rates. Specialty work — polished concrete floors, stamped flatwork, or waterproof coating systems — can push pay further. Workers who cross-train in concrete repair and restoration open a second lane of work, particularly in Florida's aging infrastructure and coastal building stock.

Entry into the trade usually runs through a formal apprenticeship or on-the-job training with a concrete contractor. Apprenticeship programs in Florida typically run two to three years and combine hands-on hours with classroom instruction covering layout, mix design, finishing techniques, and safety. Completing an apprenticeship doesn't just teach the trade — it establishes credibility with larger general contractors and opens doors to public and commercial work that pays better than the residential side.

Florida has no state-specific cement mason license, but OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards are effectively required on most commercial and public job sites. Workers who hold current safety certifications and can document their hours of experience are easier to hire and easier to place on better-paying projects.

Some workers in this trade may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

The BLS OEWS figures used here are based on employer-reported wage surveys and represent straight-time hourly and annual pay. They do not capture overtime earnings, per diem allowances, tool reimbursements, or the value of employer-paid benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions. Total compensation for a full-time cement mason working steady hours in Florida will generally exceed the figures shown. All data is sourced from BLS OEWS May 2025.