Terrazzo workers and finishers

Apply a mixture of cement, sand, pigment, or marble chips to floors, stairways, and cabinet fixtures to fashion durable and decorative surfaces.

AI Resistance Index 50 of 99

In the middle of the pack: more resilient than 50% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by -13.0% by 2035, expected to shrink. The work leans on physical dexterity.

AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.

Median pay (2025): $76,170
Job growth to 2035: -13.0%
Openings a year: 100
People doing it (2025): 1,200
Usual route in: High school diploma, then an apprenticeship

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Where people already use AI for this work

Prepare mixtures or solutions
Apply decorative finishes
Plan work activities

From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).

Work AI rarely helps with

Perform general construction or extraction activities
Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment
Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas

What the work looks like

Measure designated amounts of ingredients for terrazzo or grout, according to standard formulas and specifications, using graduated containers and scales, and load ingredients into portable mixer.
Grind surfaces with a power grinder, or polish surfaces with polishing or surfacing machines.
Cut metal division strips and press them into the terrazzo base for joints or changes of color to form designs or patterns or to help prevent cracks.
Blend marble chip mixtures, place into panels, and push a roller over the surface to embed the chips.
Modify mixing, grouting, grinding, or cleaning procedures, according to type of installation or material used.

From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.

Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook

Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wallHuman edge, steady, Index 62, +2.4%
Insulation workers, mechanicalHuman edge, growing, Index 61, +5.1%
Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masonsHuman edge, steady, Index 77, +1.5%
Structural iron and steel workersHuman edge, steady, Index 75, +3.1%

Also known as: Terrazzo Finisher, Terrazzo Installer, Terrazzo Tile Setter, Terrazzo Worker, Grinder, Installer, Terrazzo Grinder, Terrazzo Journeyman.

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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.