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ANZSCO 8211Skill level 4Engineering and trades

Concreter

Place, finish and cure concrete for slabs, footings, driveways and structural members.

Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1700Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

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What a concreter actually does

Concreters place and finish concrete for slabs, footings, driveways, retaining walls, footpaths and structural members. Most days start very early, often before 6am, so the pour goes down before the day heats up. Setup involves checking formwork, placing reinforcement, screeding rails and arranging the pour sequence. Trucks arrive and the team works quickly to place, vibrate, screed and float concrete. Once placed, the team waits for the right window to power trowel and finish. Decorative concreters add a finishing layer of stencil, exposed aggregate or polished concrete. Hours run intense but compressed. Many days finish by mid-afternoon once the slab is finished. The work is hard on the back, knees and shoulders from a lifetime of bending over a screed. Many concreters end up running small gangs of their own.

Typical tasks

  • Erect formwork and place reinforcement.
  • Pour, vibrate and screed concrete.
  • Apply decorative and protective finishes.

Skills you'll use

  • Setting out levels and falls from a datum
  • Forming and placing reinforcement to drawings
  • Operating screeds, power floats, edgers and concrete vibrators
  • Reading concrete mix designs and slump
  • Curing techniques to avoid cracking
  • Working safely with concrete pumps and ready-mix trucks
  • Applying the National Construction Code structural concrete provisions

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10 or 12. A pre-apprenticeship Certificate II in Construction Pathways is helpful if you have not yet found a host employer
  2. 2Secure a host with a residential builder, commercial concreting gang or civil contractor and sign an apprenticeship or traineeship agreement
  3. 3Complete a Certificate III in Concreting (CPC30320) at TAFE alongside paid on-job training. The course typically runs 2-3 years
  4. 4Add a White Card and any extra tickets such as working at heights, EWP, and basic concrete pump operation early. These open more job sites
  5. 5Build a portfolio across slab, structural and decorative work in your first 3-5 years
  6. 6Optional next steps include a Certificate IV in Building and Construction so you can move into supervision, or specialising in polished and decorative concrete

Where you can work

  • Residential builders and project home companies
  • Civil construction contractors on roads, footpaths and bridges
  • Commercial construction sites
  • Industrial slab specialists for warehouses and factories
  • Polished and decorative concrete businesses
  • Council and government infrastructure teams
  • Self-employed concreters working with small builders

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Apprentice or trainee
    0-3 years
    Typical roles: Trainee concreter, Concrete labourer
    Salary band: $28,000 - $52,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Qualified concreter
    3-8 years
    Typical roles: Residential concreter, Commercial concreter, Decorative concreter
    Salary band: $75,000 - $105,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Leading hand or sub-contractor
    8-15 years
    Typical roles: Leading hand, Foreman, Sub-contractor running a small gang
    Salary band: $100,000 - $140,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. Business owner or supervisor
    12+ years
    Typical roles: Concreting business owner, Site supervisor, Civil works foreman

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You like physically intense work with a fast result
  • You can handle very early starts and short, hard days
  • You enjoy working as part of a tight crew
  • You are comfortable with bending, lifting and screeding
  • You want a trade with a clear small-business path

This might not suit you if

  • You have a back, knee or shoulder issue that limits heavy bending
  • You dislike working in direct summer sun
  • You want a profession with a quiet, indoor environment

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for concreter. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.