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How to become a brickmason
Masons typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade through an apprenticeship or on the job, working with experienced masons. Brickmasons and Blockmasons earned a median $62,120 a year in May 2025, and BLS projects 1.1% growth in the job count from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,100 openings a year. Typical entry education: high school diploma or equivalent.
The steps
- Finish high school or the equivalent. A diploma or equivalent is typically required. Many technical schools offer masonry programs, which operate both independently and in conjunction with apprenticeship training.
BLS wording
“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.”
- Train in an apprenticeship or on the job. Masons typically learn through apprenticeships and on the job, working with experienced masons. Several groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeships, where apprentices learn construction basics such as blueprint reading, mathematics for measurement, building code requirements, and safety and first-aid practices. Some workers start as construction laborers and helpers.
BLS wording
“Masons typically learn the trade through apprenticeships and on the job, working with experienced masons. Several groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeship programs. Apprentices learn construction basics, such as blueprint reading; mathematics for measurement; building code requirements; and safety and first-aid practices. ... Some workers start out as construction laborers and helpers before becoming masons.”
- Work as a journey worker. After completing an apprenticeship program, you are considered a journey worker and able to do tasks on your own.
BLS wording
“After completing an apprenticeship program, masons are considered journey workers and are able to do tasks on their own.”
- Advance to supervisor or contractor. Journey workers may find opportunities to advance to supervisor, superintendent or other construction management positions. Experienced masonry workers may choose to become independent contractors, and those in a union may also advance within it.
BLS wording
“After becoming a journey worker, masonry workers may find opportunities to advance to supervisor, superintendent, or other construction management positions. Experienced masonry workers may choose to become independent contractors. Masonry workers in a union may also find opportunities for advancement within their union.”
Steps follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Masonry Workers, read 2026-09-23.
How long it takes
The Handbook gives no length for masonry training; masons typically learn the trade through apprenticeships and on the job, working with experienced masons.
What it costs
No state license fee is sourced here for brickmasons.
License requirements by state
Do you need a license? The Handbook's masonry entry names no license; it says masons typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade through an apprenticeship or on the job. No state licensing records are sourced here for brickmasons; the 50 state pages carry pay and employment.
Apprenticeships
Several groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor the programs, and many technical schools offer masonry programs that operate both independently and in conjunction with apprenticeship training. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →
BLS wording
“Several groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeship programs. ... Many technical schools offer programs in masonry. These programs operate both independently and in conjunction with apprenticeship training.”
U.S. Department of Labor records list 2,030 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and DC in fiscal year 2024 under the occupation titles DOL maps to brickmasons and blockmasons; the state pages give each state's count and, where enough apprentices carry a wage DOL counts, the median starting and completing wages (how they are counted). Apprentice counts and wages in every state → · what those wages come to at your hours a week →
What brickmasons earn, by state
Brickmasons and Blockmasons (SOC 47-2021) earned a national median of $62,120 a year in May 2025, $29.87 an hour, with 52,550 employed. Minnesota paid the most, $95,220, 53% above the national median.
Top five by median annual wage: Minnesota ($95,220), Massachusetts ($94,950), Illinois ($89,980), New York ($84,410), Washington ($83,190). Lowest five: Maine ($42,710), New Mexico ($44,980), West Virginia ($46,600), Mississippi ($48,820), South Carolina ($49,010).
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $95,220 | $45.78 | $65,420 | $100,980 | 1,040 | 0.4 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $94,950 | $45.65 | $59,940 | $136,860 | 1,570 | 0.4 |
| 3 | Illinois | $89,980 | $43.26 | $47,200 | $109,670 | 2,490 | 0.4 |
| 4 | New York | $84,410 | $40.58 | $60,470 | $127,980 | 3,790 | 0.4 |
| 5 | Washington | $83,190 | $40.00 | $55,240 | $113,100 | 600 | 0.2 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $80,120 | $38.52 | $47,110 | $100,360 | 1,050 | 0.4 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $79,940 | $38.43 | $51,640 | $91,750 | 150 | 0.3 |
| 8 | Oregon | $79,450 | $38.20 | $52,550 | $102,400 | 650 | 0.3 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $79,280 | $38.12 | $51,900 | $111,180 | 220 | 0.4 |
| 10 | Hawaii | $79,250 | $38.10 | $44,200 | $98,130 | 120 | 0.2 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $77,010 | $37.03 | $49,680 | $111,640 | 520 | 0.1 |
| 12 | Indiana | $73,110 | $35.15 | $46,760 | $90,020 | 1,770 | 0.6 |
| 13 | Missouri | $72,370 | $34.80 | $47,610 | $85,630 | 1,940 | 0.7 |
| 14 | Ohio | $70,950 | $34.11 | $46,260 | $83,790 | 2,770 | 0.5 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $69,560 | $33.44 | $49,690 | $102,760 | 2,910 | 0.5 |
| 16 | Iowa | $69,440 | $33.38 | $48,480 | $78,980 | 290 | 0.2 |
| 17 | California | $69,050 | $33.20 | $49,440 | $108,200 | 3,820 | 0.2 |
| 18 | Connecticut | $67,960 | $32.67 | $54,840 | $87,550 | 480 | 0.3 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $66,890 | $32.16 | $47,390 | $78,840 | 140 | 0.2 |
| 20 | Delaware | $66,550 | $32.00 | $52,350 | $84,390 | 200 | 0.4 |
| 21 | Colorado | $65,260 | $31.37 | $46,180 | $77,420 | 870 | 0.3 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $64,450 | $30.98 | $62,140 | $101,140 | 200 | 0.3 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $63,850 | $30.70 | $46,610 | $75,640 | 1,050 | 0.3 |
| 24 | Michigan | $63,500 | $30.53 | $48,400 | $90,930 | 2,240 | 0.5 |
| 25 | Idaho | $62,510 | $30.06 | $46,030 | $78,780 | 320 | 0.4 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $61,200 | $29.42 | $44,670 | $72,500 | 350 | 0.3 |
| 27 | Nevada | $60,670 | $29.17 | $46,580 | $77,150 | 810 | 0.5 |
| 28 | Utah | $60,450 | $29.06 | $40,550 | $78,280 | 1,590 | 0.9 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $60,380 | $29.03 | $44,000 | $86,020 | 320 | 0.7 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $60,040 | $28.87 | $49,640 | $77,780 | 230 | 0.8 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $59,820 | $28.76 | $36,650 | $77,920 | 780 | 0.4 |
| 32 | Vermont | $59,590 | $28.65 | $50,950 | $76,420 | 100 | 0.3 |
| 33 | Arizona | $59,260 | $28.49 | $49,080 | $75,040 | 1,190 | 0.4 |
| 34 | Kansas | $59,220 | $28.47 | $40,930 | $82,080 | 330 | 0.2 |
| 35 | Maryland | $59,030 | $28.38 | $37,980 | $70,640 | 1,650 | 0.6 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $57,440 | $27.62 | $46,500 | $62,200 | 240 | 0.1 |
| 37 | Texas | $56,410 | $27.12 | $43,860 | $60,940 | 4,300 | 0.3 |
| 38 | Montana | $56,030 | $26.94 | $34,790 | $77,600 | 140 | 0.3 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $55,100 | $26.49 | $39,170 | $62,370 | 450 | 0.3 |
| 40 | Virginia | $54,680 | $26.29 | $39,360 | $66,250 | 2,350 | 0.6 |
| 41 | Florida | $52,760 | $25.37 | $37,430 | $70,250 | 2,610 | 0.3 |
| 42 | Georgia | $50,650 | $24.35 | $34,600 | $74,450 | not published | not published |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $50,620 | $24.34 | $40,350 | $68,680 | 580 | 0.3 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $49,940 | $24.01 | $38,270 | $61,590 | 1,760 | 0.4 |
| 45 | Alabama | $49,710 | $23.90 | $37,870 | $61,240 | 370 | 0.2 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $49,010 | $23.56 | $35,710 | $77,960 | 410 | 0.2 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $48,820 | $23.47 | $33,450 | $60,040 | 160 | 0.1 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $46,600 | $22.40 | $30,750 | $64,600 | 210 | 0.3 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $44,980 | $21.63 | $36,160 | $59,530 | 270 | 0.3 |
| 50 | Maine | $42,710 | $20.54 | $38,400 | $73,130 | 90 | 0.1 |
No published median for: Alaska. BLS suppresses estimates that do not meet its publication standards.
"Per 1,000 jobs" is how concentrated the trade is in that state's workforce. A state can pay well and still have few openings; the employment column and this one together say how much of a market there is.
As files: pay by state (CSV) · pay by metro area (CSV) · all files and how to credit them.
Job outlook, 2025 to 2035
BLS projects 1.1% growth in employment from 2025 to 2035 (62,400 to 63,100 jobs) and about 4,100 openings a year over the decade, counting growth and replacement.
| Figure | 2025 | 2035 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 62,400 | 63,100 | +700 (1.1%) |
| Openings a year, average | 4,100 | ||
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | ||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025, retrieved 2026-10-03. Openings count growth plus the workers who leave the occupation.
Common questions
How long does it take to become a brickmason?
The Handbook gives no length for masonry training; masons typically learn the trade through apprenticeships and on the job, working with experienced masons.
Do you need a license to be a brickmason?
The Handbook's masonry entry names no license; it says masons typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the trade through an apprenticeship or on the job.
How much do brickmasons make?
Brickmasons and Blockmasons earned a median $62,120 a year in May 2025 ($29.87 an hour). The 10th to 90th percentile range is $44,820 to $100,010; Minnesota pays the most at $95,220.
What is the job outlook for brickmasons?
BLS projects 1.1% growth in employment from 2025 to 2035 (62,400 to 63,100 jobs) and about 4,100 openings a year over the decade, counting growth and replacement.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Masonry Workers, read 2026-09-23: the steps, training length and licensing pattern.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: every wage and employment figure. How the numbers are built.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Table 1.2, retrieved 2026-10-03: growth, openings and entry education.