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Skilled Trades

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 salary

$60,800

Typical range

$41k – $96k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Brickmasons and Blockmasons

    Entry / Junior

    $41,330

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Brickmasons and Blockmasons

    Established

    $60,800

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Brickmasons and Blockmasons

    Senior

    $78,180

Key skills

A typical day

  • 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.

Fields of study

Any field

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