How much do cement masons make in Wisconsin in 2026?

The median cement mason in Wisconsin earns $64,250 a year, which works out to about $30.89 an hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of workers in the trade earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or landing your first steady crew position, expect to sit closer to the 25th percentile at $59,080 annually, or roughly $28.40 an hour. Experienced finishers who've built a reputation for quality flatwork and decorative concrete push into the 75th percentile at $79,650 a year — about $38.29 an hour. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

The spread between the bottom quarter and the top quarter is about $20,570 a year. That gap isn't random. It reflects real differences in skill, specialization, and the type of work a mason is trusted to run. A worker who can only pour and screed residential slabs will land near the bottom of the range. One who can read architectural plans, set precise forms for commercial tilt-up panels, finish exposed aggregate or stamped concrete to spec, and work alongside ironworkers and carpenters on a fast-moving commercial site will be competing for the top end.

Wisconsin's construction season compresses into roughly seven or eight months of reliable outdoor work — late March through early November in most of the state. That seasonal reality shapes how cement masons earn. Overtime is common during the peak season, particularly on commercial and infrastructure projects where pours are scheduled around weather windows and concrete cure times. A mason pulling 50-hour weeks from May through October is adding meaningful income on top of the base hourly rate. Some workers use the slower winter months to pick up interior work — warehouse floors, commercial tiling, or repair and overlay projects that can continue year-round in heated structures.

Geography inside Wisconsin also moves the needle. The Milwaukee metro and its surrounding suburbs — Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha — generate the highest concentration of commercial and industrial concrete work in the state. Madison is a close second, with ongoing institutional, mixed-use, and government construction keeping crews busy. Smaller markets like Green Bay, Appleton, La Crosse, and Eau Claire offer steady work but at somewhat lower demand volumes, which can translate to fewer hours or less leverage when negotiating pay. If you're willing to travel to where the big pours are, you'll find more hours and more overtime.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path for this trade. A cement mason apprenticeship typically runs two to three years and combines on-the-job hours with classroom instruction covering concrete mix design, form setting, surface finishing techniques, and safety. Completing an apprenticeship doesn't just improve your skills — it signals to contractors that you can be handed a job with minimal supervision. That credential directly affects where on the pay scale you start and how quickly you move up.

Some workers in Wisconsin may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates. Non-union masons working for open-shop contractors make up a significant share of the workforce, particularly in residential and light commercial segments. Pay for non-union workers varies more widely and tends to be tied closely to individual contractor pay scales and local market demand.

A few specific things push individual pay higher. Specialization in decorative concrete — stamped, stained, polished, or exposed aggregate finishes — commands a premium because the margin for error is low and the client expectations are high. Experience with large commercial slabs and post-tension floors is valued on big projects. Supervisory roles — lead mason, foreman, or general foreman — come with pay bumps that can push a worker well above the 75th percentile over time. OSHA 30 certification and documented safety training also make a worker more attractive to larger general contractors who carry strict site safety requirements.

The BLS figures here represent straight-time wages and salaries. They do not include overtime earnings, per diem payments for travel, employer contributions to health insurance, pension or retirement contributions, or tool and vehicle allowances. Total compensation for a fully benefited mason on a union or large non-union contractor's payroll can be meaningfully higher than the base wage figures suggest. Keep that in mind when comparing offers or evaluating job changes — the hourly rate on the check is only part of the picture.