Will terrazzo workers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Terrazzo workers score 11 of 100 for AI exposure. 95% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 5%.
- 5% AI helps
- 95% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 95% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 26 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 1 and leaves 25 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Modify mixing, grouting, grinding, or cleaning procedures, according to type of installation or material used. AI advises on procedure changes; crew applies them on site. | 40% AI helps |
| 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. Physical weighing and loading of materials; AI only supports formulas. | 15% Needs a person |
| Build wooden molds, clamping molds around areas to be repaired, or setting up frames to the proper depth and alignment. Building and aligning molds on site is physical carpentry work. | 14% Needs a person |
| Wash polished terrazzo surface, using cleaner and water, and apply sealer and curing agent according to manufacturer's specifications, using brush or sprayer. Washing and sealing is physical; AI only helps with specs. | 12% Needs a person |
| Clean installation site, mixing and storage areas, tools, machines, and equipment, and store materials and equipment. Site cleanup and storage is physical; AI scheduling helps little. | 12% Needs a person |
| 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. Manual cutting and pressing of metal strips into wet base. | 10% Needs a person |
| 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. Spreading and screeding wet terrazzo is physical, skilled trowel work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Mix cement, sand, and water to produce concrete, grout, or slurry, using hoe, trowel, tamper, scraper, or concrete-mixing machine. Mixing is mostly machine work; worker still loads and tends. | 10% Needs a person |
| Precast terrazzo blocks in wooden forms. Pouring blocks into forms is physical; AI helps little. | 9% Needs a person |
| Grind surfaces with a power grinder, or polish surfaces with polishing or surfacing machines. Power grinding and polishing requires operating heavy machinery on site. | 8% Needs a person |
Show the other 16 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Blend marble chip mixtures, place into panels, and push a roller over the surface to embed the chips. Placing and rolling chip panels is hands-on physical work. | 7% Needs a person |
| Fill slight grinding depressions with matching grout material and hand-trowel for a smooth, uniform surface. Troweling grout into grinding depressions is manual finishing work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Wet surface to prepare for bonding, fill holes and cracks with grout or slurry, and smooth with a trowel. Wetting, patching and troweling surfaces is physical site work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, or straightedges. Replaced 'manually' with 'with hands'. | 6% Needs a person |
| Repair concrete by cutting out damaged areas, drilling holes for reinforcing rods, and positioning reinforcing rods, using power saw and drill. Cutting, drilling and rebar placement on site is physical work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Grind curved surfaces or areas inaccessible to surfacing machine, such as stairways or cabinet tops, with portable hand grinder. Hand grinding curved stairs and tight corners needs physical presence. | 5% Needs a person |
| Position and secure moisture membrane and wire mesh in preparation for pouring base materials for terrazzo installation. Positioning membrane and mesh on site is physical placement work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Chip, scrape, or grind high spots, ridges, or rough projections to finish concrete, using pneumatic chisel, hand chisel, or other hand tools. Chipping high spots with pneumatic tools is physical, hazardous work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Spread roofing paper on surface of foundation and spread concrete onto roofing paper with trowel to form terrazzo base. Spreading roofing paper and concrete by trowel is physical work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Sprinkle colored marble or stone chips, powdered steel, or coloring powder over surface to produce prescribed finish. Sprinkling chips and powder over wet surface is manual work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Clean chipped area, using wire brush, and feel and observe surface to determine if it is rough or uneven. Wire brushing and feeling chipped areas needs human touch. | 4% Needs a person |
| Move terrazzo installation materials, tools, machines, or work devices to work areas, manually or using wheelbarrow. Moving heavy materials and wheelbarrows around site is physical labor. | 3% Needs a person |
| Wet concrete surface and rub with stone to smooth surface and obtain specified finish. Rubbing wet concrete with stone is skilled manual finishing. | 3% Needs a person |
| Remove frames when the foundation is dry. Removing frames after drying is simple manual site work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Produce rough concrete surface, using broom. Broom finishing concrete is simple manual labor. | 2% Needs a person |
| Signal truck driver to position truck to facilitate pouring concrete and move chute to direct concrete on forms. Signaling drivers and guiding chutes requires live physical presence. | 2% Needs a person |
How terrazzo workers compare
All occupations (923)
Construction and extraction (61)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $76,170 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 1,180 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -13.0% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Set metal divider strips into wet terrazzo base
- Build and align wood molds to specified depth
- Mix terrazzo and grout by standard formula and pigment
- Bid floor jobs in CPR Visual Estimator
- Track crew labor and materials in Sapro Paymee
- Schedule crews and pours in ProEst software
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about terrazzo workers and AI
Will AI replace terrazzo workers?
Unlikely. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly changing mixing and cleaning procedures for each material and checking ingredient formulas. The physical work stays with people, including spreading, grinding, and setting metal strips in wet base, which needs a crew on site.
Which terrazzo tasks is AI taking over?
Procedure changes for mixing, grouting, grinding, and cleaning come first, with an exposure score of 40. AI can advise which cleaner, grout, or grinding method suits a material, and the crew applies it on site. Ingredient formulas follow at exposure 15, since AI can check standard mixes against specs.
Which terrazzo tasks stay with people?
Building wood molds, cutting and pressing metal divider strips, and washing and sealing polished floors stay with people, with exposure scores of 14, 10, and 12. Each one needs hands on a wet or heavy site, so AI adds little beyond the spec sheet.
How can terrazzo workers stay valuable?
Bid jobs in CPR Visual Estimator and On Center Quick Bid so you can price a floor before the crew arrives. Track labor and materials in Sapro Paymee, and use ProEst to schedule crews against each pour. Keep hands-on skills sharp in mold building, strip setting, and polishing, since those tasks stay with people.
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