Career profile for Terrazzo Worker

What does a Terrazzo Worker do?

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

What kind of tasks does a Terrazzo Worker perform regularly?

Terrazzo Workers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

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.
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.
Grind surfaces with a power grinder, or polish surfaces with polishing or surfacing machines.
Modify mixing, grouting, grinding, or cleaning procedures, according to type of installation or material used.
Blend marble chip mixtures, place into panels, and push a roller over the surface to embed the chips.
Spread, level, or smooth concrete or terrazzo mixtures to form bases or finished surfaces, using rakes, shovels, hand or power trowels, hand or power screeds, or floats.
Grind curved surfaces or areas inaccessible to surfacing machine, such as stairways or cabinet tops, with portable hand grinder.
Wash polished terrazzo surface, using cleaner and water, and apply sealer and curing agent according to manufacturer's specifications, using brush or sprayer.
Position and secure moisture membrane and wire mesh in preparation for pouring base materials for terrazzo installation.
Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish.
Fill slight grinding depressions with matching grout material and hand-trowel for a smooth, uniform surface.
Clean installation site, mixing and storage areas, tools, machines, and equipment, and store materials and equipment.
Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine.
Chip, scrape, or grind high spots, ridges, or rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisel, hand chisel, or other hand tools.
Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth with a trowel.
Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, or straightedges.
Move terrazzo installation materials, tools, machines, or work devices to work areas, manually or using wheelbarrow.
Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven.

The above responsibilities are specific to Terrazzo Workers. More generally, Terrazzo Workers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Controlling Machines and Processes		Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Controlling Machines and Processes

Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

What is a Terrazzo Worker salary?

The median salary for a Terrazzo Worker is $51,430, and the average salary is $56,440. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Terrazzo Worker salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Terrazzo Workers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Terrazzo Workers earn less than $32,380 per year, 25% earn less than $38,010, 75% earn less than $74,520, and 90% earn less than $92,920.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Terrazzo Workers is expected to change by -10.0%, and there should be roughly 200 open positions for Terrazzo Workers every year.

Median annual salary: $51,430
Typical salary range: $32,380 - $92,920
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -10.0%

What personality traits are common among Terrazzo Workers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Terrazzo Worker are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Terrazzo Workers typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Terrazzo Worker tend to value Independence, Support, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Terrazzo Workers moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Second, Terrazzo Workers moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Lastly, Terrazzo Workers moderately value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Terrazzo Workers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, cooperation, and self-control.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Terrazzo Workers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

What education and training do Terrazzo Workers need?

Working as a Terrazzo Worker usually requires a high school diploma.

Terrazzo Workers need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Terrazzo Workers

37.4% did not complete high school or secondary school
41.1% completed high school or secondary school
15.8% completed some college coursework
2.3% earned a Associate's degree
3.3% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.1% earned a Master's degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Terrazzo Workers

Terrazzo Workers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as building and construction, design, or mathematics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Terrazzo Workers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Design		Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Important Abilities needed by Terrazzo Workers

Terrazzo Workers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Terrazzo Workers need abilities such as manual dexterity, multilimb coordination, and trunk strength in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Terrazzo Workers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination		The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Trunk Strength		The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Multilimb Coordination

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Trunk Strength

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Critical Skills needed by Terrazzo Workers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Terrazzo Workers frequently use skills like coordination, quality control analysis, and speaking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Terrazzo Workers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Coordination		Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Quality Control Analysis		Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making		Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

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