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Cement & Concrete Finisher

Skilled Trades

Smooth and finish surfaces of poured concrete, such as floors, walks, sidewalks, roads, or curbs using a variety of hand and power tools. Align forms for sidewalks, curbs, or gutters; patch voids; and use saws to cut expansion joints.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Architecture & Built Environment

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA construction site

  • Outdoors most days, in all weather
  • On your feet for most of the day
  • Rarely dealing with the public
  • Shifts or irregular hours

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationLess than high school

Quick answers

How do you become a Cement & Concrete Finisher in Malaysia?

Routes after SPM that lead here include Asasi / Foundation and Diploma.

Can I become a Cement & Concrete Finisher straight after SPM?

Yes. This career can be started with a certificate, diploma or TVET training straight after SPM, without a degree.

What should I study to become a Cement & Concrete Finisher?

Related fields of study: Architecture & Built Environment. SPM subjects that help most: English, Civil Engineering Studies, Engineering Drawing and Design & Technology (RBT).

How much does a Cement & Concrete Finisher earn in Malaysia?

We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Cement & Concrete Finisher pay, so we show no figure.

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed.
  2. 2Set the forms that hold concrete to the desired pitch and depth, and align them.
  3. 3Spread, level, and smooth concrete, using rake, shovel, hand or power trowel, hand or power screed, and float.
  4. 4Monitor how the wind, heat, or cold affect the curing of the concrete throughout the entire process.
  5. 5Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
  6. 6Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete, and move chute to direct concrete on forms.
  7. 7Direct the casting of the concrete and supervise laborers who use shovels or special tools to spread it.
  8. 8Produce rough concrete surface, using broom.
  9. 9Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete, and waterproof or restore surface.
  10. 10Operate power vibrator to compact concrete.
  11. 11Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth, using trowel.
  12. 12Install anchor bolts, steel plates, door sills and other fixtures in freshly poured concrete or pattern or stamp the surface to provide a decorative finish.
  13. 13Waterproof or restore concrete surfaces, using appropriate compounds.
  14. 14Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine.
  15. 15Chip, scrape, and grind high spots, ridges, and rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisels, power grinders, or hand tools.
  16. 16Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish.
  17. 17Cut out damaged areas, drill holes for reinforcing rods, and position reinforcing rods to repair concrete, using power saw and drill.
  18. 18Wet concrete surface, and rub with stone to smooth surface and obtain specified finish.
  19. 19Fabricate concrete beams, columns, and panels.
  20. 20Polish surface, using polishing or surfacing machine.
  21. 21Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven.
  22. 22Build wooden molds, and clamp molds around area to be repaired, using hand tools.
  23. 23Cut metal division strips, and press them into terrazzo base so that top edges form desired design or pattern.
  24. 24Push roller over surface to embed chips in surface.
  25. 25Apply muriatic acid to clean surface, and rinse with water.
  26. 26Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation, and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Mason
  • Cementer
  • Finisher
  • Cement Mason
  • Curb Builder
  • Joint Setter
  • Concrete Tech
  • Floor Grinder
  • Cement Patcher
  • Concrete Mason

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • English Language74%

    English

  • Building and Construction70%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Mathematics62%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Public Safety and Security62%
  • Mechanical53%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Administration and Management52%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicA little
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentOften

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 20 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

11 of 20 were internships

Allowance or pay, when stated

RM750 – RM2,000

11 of 20 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM750 and RM2,000 a month. Many print none.

Professional bodies named

Built-environment board, CIDB, BEM

Languages named

Bahasa Malaysia

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org