Concrete Finishers in the Punta Gorda area earn a median of $47,150 a year, 18% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #267 of 334 metros for concrete finisher salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Cape Coral and North Port.
It's one of 20 Florida metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide concrete finisher pay.
Concrete Finisher pay in Punta Gorda at a glance
- Concrete finishers in the Punta Gorda, FL metro earn a median $47,150 a year ($22.67 an hour), #267 of 334 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $37,130 and $71,750.
- After local prices, that median buys what $46,904 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,204 a month, 31% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for concrete finishers here is below average compared with other U.S. metros, and in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.9%) and the population is growing faster than most (+15.5% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 139 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $100,137 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $63/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Punta Gorda scorecard for concrete finishers Our calculation
Grades compare Punta Gorda with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($57,245).
Pay over time
The median pay for concrete finishers in the Punta Gorda area went from $38,860 in 2020 to $47,150 in 2025, up 21.3%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -3.2% — a real pay cut. Some years are missing because BLS redrew or didn't publish this metro.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Punta Gorda Our calculation
Prices in the Punta Gorda area run 1% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $46,904 would in a typical place, ranking #315 of 332 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a Punta Gorda budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What concrete finishers do
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.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Check the forms that hold the concrete to see that they are properly constructed.
- Set the forms that hold concrete to the desired pitch and depth, and align them.
- Spread, level, and smooth concrete, using rake, shovel, hand or power trowel, hand or power screed, and float.
- Monitor how the wind, heat, or cold affect the curing of the concrete throughout the entire process.
- Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, concrete finisher jobs are projected to grow 1.6% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 13,600 openings a year. About 2% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often concrete finishers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Florida Official source
The main state licensing office in Florida is the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Construction and electrical contractor boards. It can point you to the right license for concrete finishers.
Official Florida licensing site ↗
Requirements for concrete finishers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, concrete finishers have 25 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 71% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying FL metros for concrete finishers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| NaplesFLORIDA · FL | $49,700 | $48,159 | 640 |
| TampaFLORIDA · FL | $49,590 | $49,153 | 1,780 |
| North PortFLORIDA · FL | $49,440 | $48,273 | 720 |
| JacksonvilleFLORIDA · FL | $49,260 | $49,515 | 980 |
| CrestviewFLORIDA · FL | $49,120 | $50,623 | 200 |
| MiamiFLORIDA · FL | $48,860 | $42,801 | 3,820 |
| Cape CoralFLORIDA · FL | $48,350 | $47,240 | 960 |
| Port St. LucieFLORIDA · FL | $48,280 | $48,170 | 290 |
| DeltonaFLORIDA · FL | $48,010 | $48,316 | 330 |
| OrlandoFLORIDA · FL | $47,800 | $47,132 | 2,120 |
See every metro in Florida.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Punta Gorda area's unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just concrete finishers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.8% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Punta Gorda area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 17% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 69% drive alone, 0% take transit and 14% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Punta Gorda area's population grew 15.5% from 2020 to 2025 (188,023 → 217,212), ranking #9 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +40,152) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Punta Gorda
The Punta Gorda area has about 127,793 homes. 22% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 17% were built in 2010 or later. 84% of households own their home, and the median home value is $355,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Punta Gorda are down 38% from 2021 to 2025 (4,830 → 3,015).
In 2025 the Punta Gorda area approved permits for 3,015 new homes (2,571 single-family), or 15.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking #8 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 139 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $100,137 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Punta Gorda compares among the best cities to start a concrete finisher business.
They compete with 100 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 831 workers in total). 63% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Punta Gorda Government data
In an average year, Punta Gorda has 124 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), 2 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 74 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 92°F and winter nights 52°F. That matters for concrete finishers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Punta Gorda Charlotte Co Airport, FL station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $47,150 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get concrete finisher pricing & estimate templates →Compare Punta Gorda with another city →
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ToolPunta Gorda budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Punta Gorda metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Punta Gorda against every other metro for concrete finishers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.