How Much Do Masons and Bricklayers Make?
National median $56,600/yr ($27.21/hr)
Masonry pays a solid blue-collar wage that climbs fast once you are carded. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median wage for masonry workers at $56,600 a year, or about $27.21 an hour, as of May 2024. Brickmasons and blockmasons specifically ran higher, at a $60,800 median. Half the trade earns more than that, and the spread from bottom to top is wide.
The bottom 10% of masons earned under $38,520 a year, while the top 10% earned more than $90,120 as of May 2024. That gap comes down to experience, whether you are union or non-union, and the kind of work you do. Residential block and brick sits near the bottom, while commercial, industrial, and refractory masonry sits near the top.
What pushes pay up is clear. A journeyman card, a union book with the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, a high-scale metro like Chicago, Boston, or New York, industrial and refractory specialties, and overtime with travel and per-diem all move the number. States like Massachusetts, Illinois, and New Jersey lead the country, with annual mean wages in the $80,000 to $90,000 range for brickmasons and blockmasons.
Pay by experience
Highest-paying paths
Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers journeymen in top locals run about $35 to $45+/hr in base wage, with total packages of wage plus benefits reaching $60 to $70+/hr. Buffalo, NY journeyman base is $39.44 with a total package near $71.55/hr as of mid-2025.
Firebrick and refractory work on power plants, furnaces, boilers, and refineries pays well above residential and usually adds travel and per-diem on top of the base rate.
Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Hawaii lead the country, with annual mean wages roughly $80,000 to $90,000 for brickmasons and blockmasons.
Commercial and plant-shutdown jobs stack time-and-a-half overtime plus tax-advantaged per-diem, which can add $10,000 to $25,000+ to a year's take-home.
Running a crew, setting the lead, and laying out the job from blueprints pays a premium over the standard journeyman rate.
Historic restoration, decorative and cut stone, and tuckpointing are skilled, low-supply niches that command higher rates than standard block-laying.
How to earn more
- Finish a registered apprenticeship and earn your journeyman card. That step alone roughly doubles a first-year apprentice's hourly pay.
- Join the union (Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers) in a high-scale metro to lock in scale plus a full health and pension package.
- Move from residential into commercial or industrial masonry, where the pay is higher and the hours are steadier.
- Learn a specialty. Refractory, restoration, decorative stone, and tuckpointing all pay more than standard brick and block.
- Step up to foreman or layout work. Running the lead and reading prints earns a premium over the base scale.
- Chase travel and plant-shutdown work with overtime and per-diem whenever you can take it.
- Get your masonry contractor license and start bidding and running your own jobs.
See who's hiring
Browse Mason / Bricklayer jobs with pay shown upfront, or read the full Mason / Bricklayer career guide.
Mason / Bricklayer pay: common questions
How much do masons make?
The median wage for masonry workers was $56,600 a year, about $27.21 an hour, as of May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Brickmasons and blockmasons specifically ran higher at $60,800. The bottom 10% earned under $38,520 and the top 10% topped $90,120.
Do bricklayers make good money?
Yes, especially with a journeyman card and union scale. A mid-career journeyman clears the mid $50,000s to upper $60,000s, and experienced union masons in high-cost metros earn total packages of $60 to $70+ an hour once benefits are counted.
What are the highest-paying masonry jobs?
Union industrial and refractory work, foreman and layout roles, and specialty stone or restoration pay the most. Top states like Massachusetts, Illinois, and New Jersey average $80,000 to $90,000 a year for brickmasons and blockmasons.
How much do masons make an hour?
Most masons earn between about $18.52 and $43.33 an hour, with a median near $27.21 as of May 2024. Union journeymen in major metros bill higher base rates plus a full benefit package on top.
Can you make $100,000 a year as a mason?
Yes. It usually takes union scale in a high-cost metro, a foreman role, industrial or refractory specialty work, heavy overtime and per-diem, or running your own masonry business. Six figures is realistic near the top of the trade.