Concrete is a part of nearly every construction project, whether it's a patio for someone's home, the foundation of a building, a new roadway or even a large dam. The person who places and finishes it is a concrete mason.

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Concrete masons and terrazzo workers, who create designs in walkways, floors and panels by exposing materials like marble chips on the concrete's surface, set the forms which hold the concrete to the desired pitch and alignment.

After pouring and spreading the concrete, the masons use a straightedge across the surface to level it off. Next, a long-handled tool called a bull float is used to cover the coarse materials and bring the finer cement paste to the surface. This process is called floating.

A finisher then presses an edger between the concrete and the form being used to hold it. This creates a rounded edge and helps prevent chips or cracks over time. After the concrete is edged and grooves are inserted at specific intervals, which also helps prevent cracking, the mason retrowels the surface to create a smooth finish.

As our country expands its network of roads and concrete is used more and more in construction, there will be more job openings in this field. The Occupational Outlook Handbook projects total job growth of up to 10 percent through 2006.

If you don't like working outside, however, this may not be the job for you, seeing as much of the work is done outdoors. There is also considerable strain on the knees, with much of the work done at floor level, requiring a lot of bending.

Many concrete masons get their training through a three-year apprenticeship, which is usually co-sponsored by unions and contractors. In addition to hands-on training, students receive a minimum of 144 hours of classroom instruction in math, safety, blueprint reading, layout work and cost estimating.

Figures from the International Masonry Institute indicate that most concrete masons work for concrete contractors or for general contractors on projects like highways, malls, and other large structures such as schools and factories. Fewer than 10 percent are self-employed, working on specialized jobs like driveways and sidewalks.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly salary for concrete masons and terrazzo workers was $467, or about $24,000 annually. Apprentices usually start out at 60 percent of the rate paid to experienced workers.