Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Also called: Adobe Layer, Block Layer, Block Mason, Block Paver, Blockmason, Bottom Liner, Brick and Block Mason, Brick and Tile Bricklayer
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.
What brickmasons and blockmasons do
Typical 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.
- Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.
- Examine brickwork or structure to determine need for repair.
- Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures.
- Remove burned or damaged brick or mortar, using sledgehammer, crowbar, chipping gun, or chisel.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Brickmasons and Blockmasons salary
The median annual wage for brickmasons and blockmasons is $62,120 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $44,820 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $100,010. The mean annual wage is $68,280.
The mean hourly wage of $32.00 is 4.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Brickmasons and Blockmasons (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $62,120 → in 3 years $68,200 → in 5 years $72,600 → in 10 years $84,900 (10-year range $73,000–$98,600). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Brickmasons and Blockmasons? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons United States | ブロック積み Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $62,120 | ¥4.67M ≈ $29,690 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $84,900 | ¥6.52M |
| Outlook score | 54 | 63 |
| AI replacement risk | 7% Very low | 20% Very low |
| Workers | 53K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become brickmasons and blockmasons
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as brickmasons and blockmasons
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.