Mark where the wall goes
Follow the plan, measure from fixed points on site, and draw layout lines before the first row.
Career profile
Brick or Block Mason
Brickmasons and blockmasons build and repair walls using bricks, concrete blocks, and mortar.
Each job starts as a plan on paper and ends as level, even rows you can watch rise hour by hour.
A day in the life
Lay brick with a trowel
Trowel down mortar, set a brick in it, then check it against a string line and a level.
Cut a piece to fit
Measure the gap, then cut a brick or block to fit using hand tools or a masonry saw.
Finish the mortar joints
Scrape away leftover mortar, then shape each joint with a jointing tool so it looks even and sealed.
Quick facts
Diploma + trade training
United States · 2025
$62,120 a year
United States · May 2025
1.1% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Diploma + trade trainingA high school diploma or equivalent and an apprenticeship are typical preparation.
Pay
$62,120 a yearNational median for brickmasons and blockmasons; $29.87 an hour.
Outlook
1.1% growthEmployment is projected to grow slowly, with about 4,100 openings annually.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy making small adjustments until something lines up.
- You can stay attentive through repeated hands-on steps.
- You like coordinating physical work with other people.
Things to weigh
- Repeated lifting, bending, and kneeling can leave you tired.
- Weather can interrupt outdoor work; deadlines may bring overtime.
Where AI may help
On some sites, powered lifting arms support heavy blocks while you guide them into place.
What people still lead
You still check alignment and finish mortar joints.
What we can’t predict yet
Prefabricated wall panels can reduce onsite masonry work. How much work shifts toward panel installation will depend on the projects being built.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $62,120 annually, or $29.87 hourly. Use it as a comparison point when looking at an offer.
The national spread
In May 2025, the 10th-percentile annual wage was $44,820 and the 90th was $100,010. These describe the wage distribution, not beginner and expert pay levels.
Employer type matters
For historical context, May 2023 annual mean wages were $63,090 at foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors and $66,020 in nonresidential building construction. These older averages are not current offers.
Compare the hours, too
Ask about expected hours, weather interruptions, and how apprentice pay progresses.
Openings exceed net growth
National employment is projected to grow 1.1% during 2025–2035, with about 4,100 openings a year on average. Openings include replacement needs, not just newly created jobs.
Getting started
Enter an apprenticeship
Paid
- What the route involves
- Combine jobsite practice with classes in drawings, measurements, and safety.
- What it can lead to
- Completing the apprenticeship establishes you as a journey worker who can perform trade tasks independently.
Start as a helper
- What the route involves
- Supply materials and clean work areas while learning on the job.
- What it can lead to
- Helper experience can lead into mason work as you learn the trade.
A diploma or equivalent is typical. You learn the trade alongside experienced masons.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Build consistency
Practice even mortar placement and level rows.
Handle the layout
Develop accuracy with corners, spacing, and material estimates.
Lead a crew
With experience and further training, you could become a foreman or superintendent running jobsite work.
- Teaching the trade is another path for experienced craftworkers.
Where you can work
Existing buildings
Restoration work puts you beside older brickwork, repairing damaged areas and renewing joints.
- Field work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Industrial facilities
Specialist brickmasons install heat-resistant linings in furnaces and boilers, using materials chosen for high temperatures.
- Indoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Draw a small brick wall on graph paper with a window opening. Offset the joints between rows and mark where partial bricks would fit. Notice whether working out the pattern and correcting uneven spacing holds your attention.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Brickmasons and Blockmasons — 47-2021.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Brickmasons and Blockmasons. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–2035. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: Brickmasons and Blockmasons. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Masonry Workers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- International Masonry Training and Education Foundation. Careers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Construction Robotics. Smart lifting solutions. Accessed 2026-10-03.