How much does a bricklayer make?
a year · about $30 an hour
A typical bricklayer in the United States makes $62,120 a year, about $30 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A bricklayer starts by reading plans, measuring the wall, and mixing mortar. Then they set bricks or blocks in rows, check each line with a level, and scrape away extra mortar.
Did you know? Some U.S. bricklayers line industrial boilers and furnaces with masonry that can resist extreme heat and fire.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $44,820 and $100,010How do you become one?
In the U.S., finish high school or equivalent, then train on the job or in an apprenticeship; one registered program lasts about four years. Some programs require age 18, and aspiring contractors should check local license rules.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience, skill, extra credentials, specialty work, the employer, and location can all affect a bricklayer’s pay. Overtime can add work hours, while bad weather may interrupt outdoor jobs.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Minnesota ($95,220), lowest in North Carolina ($49,940).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $44,820 | $62,120 | $100,010 | about 53,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $95,220 | about 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $94,950 | about 2,000 |
| Illinois | $89,980 | about 2,000 |
| New York | $84,410 | about 4,000 |
| Washington | $83,190 | about 600 |
Official definition: 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. Installers of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units are classified in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” (37-3011). Excludes “Stonemasons” (47-2022).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/brickmasons-blockmasons-and-stonemas
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2021.00
- www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-occupations/listings?occupationCode=47-202
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.dws.nm.gov/en-us/Apprenticeship-Programs/Bricklayer-or-Block-Mason
- www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/get/contractor.html
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY