Construction and extraction
Brickmasons and blockmasons
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.
Median pay
$62,120
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
4,100
Time to qualify*
4 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Brickmasons and blockmasons
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Brickmasons and blockmasons: 23% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.
- 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.
- Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.
- Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.
- Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.
- Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.
- Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.
- Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.
Also called: Block Layer · Block Mason · Blockmason · Brick and Block Mason · Brick Mason · Bricklayer · Mason · Masonry Installer
Outlook and AI
Brickmasons and blockmasons held 62,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 63,100 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Stonemason
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Tile and stone setters
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Terrazzo workers and finishers
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Carpenter
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
- Brickmasons and blockmasons vs. Construction laborer