Concreter's Labourer

A concreter's labourer assists concreters on construction sites by preparing concrete mix, setting up formwork, and finishing concrete surfaces. The role involves heavy manual work including mixing and placing concrete, compacting, levelling, and cleaning equipment and work areas. Work is typically outdoors on building and infrastructure projects under direction from qualified concreters.

Mix concrete by hand or using concrete mixers, ensuring correct ratios of cement, aggregates, and water. Prepare and clean formwork including wooden frames, steel moulds, and release agents before concrete placement. Shovel and wheelbarrow concrete from mix point to placement location on site. Spread and level wet concrete using shovels, rakes, and screeds under guidance of the concreter. Compact freshly placed concrete using vibrating equipment, plate compactors, or hand tamping to remove air pockets. Sweep and clean concrete surfaces, remove excess concrete, and apply curing compounds after finishing. Monitor concrete curing conditions and protect finished surfaces from rain or excessive sun during the curing period. Assist with removal of formwork after concrete has sufficiently cured, breaking up and stacking timber or steel.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate I or compulsory secondary education (ABS skill level 5). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Your body takes a real battering. Concrete work is physically demanding with heavy lifting, kneeling, bending, and repetitive strain that damages backs, knees, and shoulders. Most concreters have chronic pain by their 50s. You'll also be outdoors in harsh weather, and there's no clear pathway to higher pay unless you get your concreter qualification, which takes time and costs money.

Construction work concentrates in major cities where building activity is highest. Regional areas have work during big projects but it's patchy. Practically speaking, you need to be in or near metro areas or willing to travel for site work. Remote work isn't possible.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8212, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Apply finish to concretecore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Check compatibility of materialscore
• Discharge cementcore
• Follow health and safety procedures in constructioncore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Mix concretecore
• Place concrete formscore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Pour concretecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Screed concretecore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Transport construction suppliescore
• Use safety equipment in constructioncore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Work in a construction teamcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Apply proofing membranes
• Calculate needs for construction supplies
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Goods Receipt Processing
• Inspect construction supplies
• Inventory Tracking
• Multitasking
• Process incoming construction supplies
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Types of concrete forms
• Use measurement instruments

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Concreter's Labourer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026