Brickmasons and Blockmasons: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2021 · O*NET 47-2021.00
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.
Brickmasons and Blockmasons fall under the Construction and Extraction category in the U.S. occupational classification. Brickmasons and Blockmasons earn a median salary of $60,800 per year, ranking in the top 47% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.2% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn?
The median annual wage for brickmasons and blockmasons is $60,800. That puts brickmasons and blockmasons at #379 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $41,330 |
| 25th percentile | $49,430 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $60,800 |
| 75th percentile | $77,290 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $95,560 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.23/hr |
Is brickmasons and blockmasons a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for brickmasons and blockmasons is +3.2%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 74K positions in 2024 to 76K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working brickmasons and blockmasons, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Construct corners by fastening in plumb position a corner pole or building a corner pyramid of bricks, and filling in between the corners using a line from corner to corner to guide each course, or layer, of brick.
- 2.Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.
- 3.Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.
- 4.Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.
- 5.Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.
- 6.Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures.
- 7.Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.
- 8.Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.
Top skills for brickmasons and blockmasons
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become brickmasons and blockmason?
Brickmasons and Blockmasons typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about brickmasons and blockmasons
What is the median salary for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The median annual salary for brickmasons and blockmasons is $60,800 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is brickmasons and blockmasons a growing career?
BLS projects +3.2% growth for brickmasons and blockmasons from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become brickmasons and blockmason?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to brickmasons and blockmasons?
Related occupations within the Construction and Extraction category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.