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Salary Guides / California
Concrete Worker Salary in California
Compare California concrete worker pay ranges and compensation factors to evaluate written offers for your skills and experience.
What Concrete Workers Earn in California
California cement masons and concrete finishers earn $22.36–$48.95/hr across the current 10th–90th percentile range, or $46,510–$101,810 annually. The statewide median is $30.15/hr, or $62,700/year. These BLS employee estimates describe a distribution, not guaranteed starting or maximum pay. Location, work scope, and employment arrangements matter; contractor revenue and general labor wages require different comparisons. These are gross earnings, not take-home pay; compare benefits, reimbursements, hours, and assigned job responsibilities separately.
Hourly rates by level in California
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other concrete workers in California.
What are you making?
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Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.
You're right around the middle
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Calculate pay with extra credentials
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
1Your level
2Certifications you hold
3Shift & work type
4Overtime & per diem
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in California
The cards compare commercial buildings, residential construction and specialist concrete contractors. National employee medians help put California offers in context, but cannot establish a California industry ranking. Look closely at finishing responsibility and project continuity.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial and institutional projects can involve slabs, floors, and structural concrete work. Compare finishing responsibility, site coordination, expected hours, travel requirements, and benefits before judging an offer against this national employee benchmark. Ask whether the advertised position is temporary or permanent.
Residential Building Construction
Residential projects can involve concrete foundations, slabs, and associated building work. Compare finishing duties, travel between developments, expected hours, benefits, and project continuity rather than assuming every homebuilding offer provides the same compensation package.
Which states pay concrete workers the most
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Protection Competent Person | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $186 | 6 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.38 | $790 | $103 | 7 weeks |
| NCCER Heavy Equipment Operations | +$1.12 | $2,330 | $316 | 7 weeks |
| NCCER Concrete | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $230 |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $30.15/hr.
Questions workers ask
Does a long California pour trigger daily overtime?▾
Is a union concrete package all cash wages?▾
Do weather cancellations always earn reporting-time pay?▾
See Open Concrete Worker Jobs in California
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS California employee wages for Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers, SOC 47-2051; general labor and form carpentry differ.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.