Brick Mason Hourly Wages in the United States by State: Complete Rankings

Brick and block masonry is one of the oldest skilled trades in the construction industry, and understanding the hourly earnings landscape for these craftspeople helps both employers and workers make informed career and hiring decisions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes detailed wage data for occupations across all fifty states, and the figures for brick and block masons reveal significant variation depending on geography, cost of living, union presence, and local construction activity. According to the most recent BLS reports, the national average hourly wage for brick masons hovers around the mid-twenties per hour, but the range stretches from under seventeen dollars in some southern states to well over thirty dollars in several midwestern and northwestern markets. This article breaks down the numbers by state, highlights the highest and lowest paying regions, and explores the factors behind these differences to provide a comprehensive reference for anyone working in or hiring for the masonry trade.

National Wage Overview for Brick and Block Masons

Brick and block masons, also known as brickmasons and stonemasons, work with various types of masonry units including clay bricks, concrete blocks, and natural or manufactured stone. Their craft requires precision, physical stamina, and knowledge of mortar mixing, pointing techniques, and structural bonding patterns. The BLS data from May 2016 shows that the median hourly wage for brick and block masons across the United States was approximately $24.50 per hour, with the top ten percent earning over $36.00 per hour and the bottom ten percent earning below $16.50 per hour. This wide spread indicates that experience, certification, geographic location, and the type of employer all play substantial roles in determining a mason’s earning potential.

The table below summarizes the national wage distribution for brick and block masons based on the most recent available BLS data:

The wage spread across the percentiles reflects the difference between entry-level positions and experienced, specialized masonry work. Masons who have mastered complex techniques such as decorative brickwork, restoration masonry, or structural load-bearing walls tend to earn at the higher end of the scale. Geographic location also plays a major role, as the state-by-state breakdown reveals. For example, a mason working in Illinois can expect to earn more than double the hourly rate of a counterpart in Mississippi, even when accounting for differences in the cost of living between those states.

Top-Paying States for Brick Masons

Several states stand out as the highest paying markets for brick and block masons, offering hourly wages well above the national median. The top paying states based on the BLS May 2016 data include:

1. Illinois at $36.30 per hour — the highest average in the nation, driven by strong union presence in the Chicago metropolitan area and a robust commercial construction sector.
2. Missouri at $34.09 per hour — St. Louis and Kansas City anchor a competitive masonry market with significant institutional and industrial building activity.
3. Minnesota at $33.43 per hour — the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area offers high wages supported by union agreements and consistent demand for skilled masonry in both new construction and renovation.
4. Washington at $32.37 per hour — rapid population growth and a booming economy in the Seattle metropolitan region have pushed masonry wages to among the highest in the country. The strong tech industry presence has fueled commercial construction demand.
5. North Dakota at $28.81 per hour — the oil boom in the Bakken region drove construction demand, though more moderate than the earlier peak years.
6. Kansas at $27.43 per hour and Ohio at $27.33 per hour round out the upper tier, with healthy industrial and infrastructure masonry work sustaining wages in those markets.

What these high-paying states have in common is a combination of strong union density, active commercial and industrial construction markets, and in some cases a higher cost of living that drives up prevailing wages. Masons in these states generally benefit from formal apprenticeship programs that lead to journeyman status and corresponding pay increases. Many of these states also have prevailing wage laws for public construction projects, which establish minimum pay rates that raise the overall wage floor for all masons working in those jurisdictions.

Lower-Wage Markets and Regional Patterns

At the other end of the spectrum, several states primarily in the Southeast report significantly lower average hourly wages for brick and block masons. The bottom five states include:

1. Mississippi at $16.94 per hour — the lowest in the country, reflecting a combination of right-to-work laws, lower unionization rates, and a construction market dominated by residential rather than high-value commercial work.
2. Florida at $17.29 per hour — despite a massive construction industry, the warm climate and large non-union workforce keep wages suppressed relative to northern states.
3. South Carolina at $17.37 per hour — right-to-work laws and a lower cost of living contribute to the lower wage floor for skilled trades in this state.
4. Georgia at $17.56 per hour — Atlanta is a major construction market but the broader state average is pulled down by less active rural areas with lower demand for skilled masonry.
5. North Carolina at $18.29 per hour — rapid population growth in the Research Triangle and Charlotte areas has not yet translated into proportionally higher masonry wages compared to the national average.

The Southeast region as a whole faces a wage gap of approximately 25 to 40 percent compared to the highest-paying states. This regional trend is important for contractors to understand when bidding on projects and for masons considering relocation. Understanding proper site brick masonry practices and achieving certification can help masons in lower-wage states command higher pay through demonstrated skill and specialization. Some masons in these states choose to travel regionally for work, taking advantage of higher-paying projects in neighboring states while maintaining a lower cost-of-living home base.

Factors Driving Wage Differences Between States

Several structural factors explain why brick mason wages vary so widely from state to state. Understanding these factors helps both workers and contractors anticipate market conditions and plan their careers or project budgets accordingly.

• Union density: States with higher rates of union membership among construction trades consistently report higher average wages. Collective bargaining agreements set minimum pay scales that raise the floor for all masons in those markets, regardless of individual union membership status.
• Cost of living: States with higher overall living costs tend to offer higher nominal wages. However, the wage premium does not always match the cost premium proportionally, so masons in some high-wage states may have less purchasing power than those in moderate-wage states with lower housing costs and tax burdens.
• Construction mix: Markets dominated by commercial, industrial, and infrastructure construction pay more than those focused primarily on residential work. Commercial projects often require higher skill levels, faster pace, and adherence to stricter specifications and safety standards.
• Apprenticeship availability: States with formal, registered apprenticeship programs produce more skilled masons who can command higher wages. These programs typically combine classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training over a three- to four-year period, resulting in certified journeymen with proven skills.
• State labor laws: Right-to-work laws, prevailing wage requirements for public projects, and state-level minimum wage policies all influence the wage structure for construction trades including masonry. States with strong prevailing wage laws tend to report higher average wages across all skill levels.

For contractors managing masonry projects, accurate cost estimation depends on knowing local wage rates and applying proper brick calculation methods to determine material and labor quantities. Even a small error in wage assumptions can significantly affect project profitability when multiplied across large masonry scopes of work spanning thousands of brick placements.

Career Outlook and Professional Development for Brick Masons

The long-term outlook for brick and block masons depends on several converging trends. While robotic bricklaying machines have garnered media attention in recent years, the adoption rate remains slow and these automated systems are best suited for simple, repetitive wall construction rather than the varied and detailed work that skilled masons perform. Restoration and historical preservation projects require the trained eye and steady hand of an experienced craftsman who can match existing mortar, recreate period-appropriate patterns, and work with irregular or salvaged materials. Understanding bonds used in brick masonry wall construction is one example of the specialized knowledge that distinguishes highly compensated masons from general construction laborers.

Masons who invest in their skills through apprenticeships, certification programs, and continuing education tend to advance more quickly into higher-paying roles. Experienced masons often move into supervisory positions, become foremen overseeing crews of apprentice and journeyman masons, or start their own contracting businesses. The wage data clearly shows that the upper quartile of earners makes nearly double the hourly rate of entry-level workers, indicating strong returns on skill development and experience over the course of a career spanning two to three decades.

Brick and block masonry remains a vital trade within the construction industry, with steady demand driven by both new construction and the ongoing need for maintenance and restoration of existing masonry structures. Whether you are a contractor planning your next project, a worker evaluating career options, or a student considering a path into the skilled trades, the wage data provides a clear picture of where the opportunities are strongest and what factors influence earning potential. For more foundational knowledge about masonry techniques and best practices in brick masonry, consulting established references helps build the expertise that translates into higher wages and long-term career stability.