Brickmasons and Blockmasons
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Overview
Lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block, and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances, to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers, and other structures. Installers of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units are classified in "Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers" (37-3011).
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Titles for this career often contain these words
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Responsibilities and activities

Masons typically do the following:

  • Read blueprints or drawings to calculate materials needed
  • Lay out patterns, forms, or foundations according to plans
  • Break or cut materials to required size
  • Mix mortar or grout and spread it onto a slab or foundation
  • Clean excess mortar with trowels and other handtools
  • Construct masonry walls
  • Align structures, using levels and plumbs
  • Clean and polish surfaces with handtools or power tools
  • Fill expansion joints with caulking materials
  • Lay out and install rainscreen water systems

Masons build structures with brick, block, and stone, some of the most common and durable materials used in construction. They also use concrete—a mixture of cement, sand, gravel, and water—as the foundation for everything from patios and floors to dams and roads.

The following are examples of types of masons:

Brickmasons and blockmasons—often called bricklayers—build and repair walls, fireplaces, and other structures with brick, terra cotta, precast masonry panels, concrete block, and other masonry materials. Pointing, cleaning, and caulking workers are brickmasons who repair brickwork, particularly on older structures. Refractory masons are brickmasons who specialize in installing heat- and fire-resistant masonry materials in high-temperature areas such as boilers, furnaces, and soaking pits in industrial buildings.

Cement masonsandconcrete finishers place and finish concrete. They may color concrete surfaces, expose small stones in walls and sidewalks, or make concrete beams, columns, and panels. Throughout the process of pouring, leveling, and finishing concrete, cement masons use their knowledge of how conditions may affect concrete and take steps to prevent defects. On small jobs, such as constructing sidewalks, cement masons may use a supportive wire mesh called a lath. On large jobs, such as constructing building foundations, reinforcing iron and rebar workers install the reinforcing mesh.

Stonemasons build stone walls and set stone exteriors and floors. They work with two types of stone: natural-cut stone, such as marble, granite, and limestone; and artificial stone, made from concrete, marble chips, or other masonry materials. Using a special hammer or a diamond-blade saw, workers cut stone into various shapes and sizes. Some stonemasons specialize in setting marble, which is similar to setting large pieces of stone.

Terrazzo workers and finishers, also known as terrazzo masons, create decorative walkways, floors, patios, and panels. Much of the preliminary work of pouring, leveling, and finishing concrete for terrazzo is similar to that of cement masons. Terrazzo workers create decorative finishes by blending fine marble chips into the epoxy, resin, or cement, which is often colored. Once the terrazzo is thoroughly set, workers correct imperfections with a grinder. Terrazzo workers also install decorative microtoppings or polishing compounds to new or existing concrete.

Salary
Median salary: $55,080 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $43,220 and $69,440.
$55K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
$35K$36K$37K$37K$37K$42K$38K$29K$26K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
Number employed
05K10K15K20K20-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-64
About Brickmasons and Blockmasons
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of brickmasons and blockmasons who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
  • Hazardous Equipment (90%)
  • High Places (89%)
  • Time Pressure (89%)
  • Exposed to Contaminants (86%)
  • Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites (70%)
  • Responsible for Others' Health (69%)
  • Hazardous Conditions (66%)
  • Unpleasant or Angry People (60%)
  • Consequence of Error (46%)
  • High Conflict Frequency (37%)
SOURCES:
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Brickmasons and Blockmasons? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Ability to work at heights
Masonry workers often use scaffolding, so they should be comfortable working at heights.
Color vision
Masonry workers need to be able to distinguish between small variations in color when setting terrazzo patterns in order to produce the best looking finish.
Dexterity
Masonry workers must be able to place bricks, stones, and other materials with precision.
Hand–eye coordination
Masonry workers need to apply smooth, even layers of mortar; set bricks; and remove any excess before the mortar hardens.
Physical stamina
Masonry workers must keep up a steady pace while setting bricks, and the constant lifting can be tiring.
Physical strength
Masonry workers should be able to lift more than 50 pounds. They carry heavy tools, equipment, and other materials, such as bags of mortar and grout.
Injury and Illness
About 127 brickmasons and blockmasons become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 86% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
All multiple traumatic injuries
Bruises and contusions
Soreness and pain
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by brickmasons and blockmasons
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), brickmasons and blockmasons typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Education and training recommended for brickmasons and blockmasons

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to enter the occupation.

Many technical schools offer programs in masonry. These programs operate both independently and in conjunction with apprenticeship training.

Education level of Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers
Only 4% of brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click the program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Program
Number of degrees awarded in 2018
Education
Education level of awarded degrees
Assoc./Cert.
Bachelor's
Graduate
Gender
Gender of graduates
Men
Women
Race/Origin
Race/origin of graduates
White
Minority
International
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most brickmasons and blockmasons? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as brickmasons and blockmasons. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where brickmasons and blockmasons earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
  • In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
  • Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers.
We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers (ACS for all specialties)
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORUTWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICANVCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFLPR
Employment
13% of Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 13% part-time workers, this occupation has a higher percentage of part-time workers than 51% of careers.
13%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
$35K$35K$28K$43K$34K$54K$57K$0$20,000$40,000$60,000$80,000$100,000Self-employed not incorporatedSelf-employed incorporatedState governmentLocal governmentPrivate not-for-profitPrivate for-profitAll
Gender
Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers and gender
With 1% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 98% of careers.
Gender of Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers
Men (99%)
Women (1%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
$35K$0$100K$200K$300KWomenMen
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
1%0%20%40%60%80%100%
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers.
Race/origin of brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and reinforcing iron and rebar workers
White (75% )
Other (13% )
Black (7% )
Multiracial (2% )
Hispanic (1% )
American Indian (1% )
Asian (1% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
$26K$26K$26K$31K$32K$37K$52K$0$20K$40K$60K$80K$100KHispanicBlackAmerican IndianOtherMultiracialWhiteAsian
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.