The trade of bricklaying, or masonry, represents a stable and enduring career path within the construction industry. Bricklayers are fundamental to the integrity and aesthetic appeal of commercial, residential, and infrastructure projects. The need for skilled tradespeople who can work with masonry materials remains consistently high as construction continues. This guide details the structured process and necessary qualifications for individuals seeking to enter this hands-on profession.
What Bricklayers Do
Bricklayers are skilled artisans who construct and repair walls, partitions, arches, and other structures using masonry units and mortar. They primarily work with manufactured materials like clay bricks, concrete blocks, and structural tiles, bonding them together with a carefully mixed mortar of cement, sand, lime, and water. The work demands precision in interpreting architectural blueprints and detailed specifications to ensure the final structure is plumb, level, and structurally sound.
The work often involves cutting and shaping units with specialized tools, such as trowels, chisels, and masonry saws, to accommodate openings or create decorative patterns. While “bricklayer” refers specifically to those working with brick, the trade overlaps with block masons (concrete blocks) and stonemasons (natural stone). Many tradespeople are proficient in all three disciplines, collectively referred to as masons, to handle diverse building requirements.
Essential Skills and Qualities for Masons
Success in masonry requires a blend of physical conditioning and sharp mental acuity. The job is physically demanding, requiring substantial stamina, strength, and endurance to handle and lift heavy masonry units, often exceeding 40 pounds, throughout a full workday. Masons must be prepared for repetitive movements like bending, kneeling, and working from heights on scaffolding.
Precision is paramount, necessitating excellent manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination for the accurate placement of each unit and the application of mortar. Aspiring bricklayers must also possess basic mathematical proficiency, including the ability to calculate measurements, angles, and material quantities from blueprints, often involving fractions. Developing strong spatial reasoning is necessary for visualizing how two-dimensional plans translate into three-dimensional structures and ensuring proper alignment.
Choosing Your Training Path
The most established path for formal entry into the trade is a registered apprenticeship program, which provides a structured blend of paid experience and technical instruction. These programs typically span three to four years, during which an apprentice works under the guidance of experienced journeymen. The typical structure involves completing a significant number of paid on-the-job training hours, often around 6,000, while simultaneously attending classroom instruction.
The related technical instruction, usually around 144 to 150 hours per year, covers topics like blueprint reading, construction math, material science, trade history, and safety protocols. Apprenticeships are sponsored by unions or employer associations, allowing trainees to earn a progressively increasing wage while acquiring comprehensive skills. Alternative routes include vocational or trade school programs that offer intensive, hands-on training and may lead to certification before seeking employment as a helper to gain required field experience.
Achieving Certification and Journeyman Status
The completion of a formal apprenticeship program leads to Journeyman status, the official recognition of competence and mastery in the trade. A Journeyman is a fully qualified tradesperson capable of performing all aspects of the work independently and supervising apprentices. This status demonstrates that the individual has successfully accumulated the required hours of practical experience and theoretical knowledge.
While Journeyman status is earned through a structured program, many masons pursue voluntary certifications to validate specialized skills. Organizations like the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) offer credentials confirming proficiency in specific masonry tasks. Masons who wish to start their own contracting businesses are often required by local regulations to obtain a license, which involves demonstrating minimum journeyman-level experience and passing trade-specific and business exams.
Career Outlook and Advancement
The career outlook for masons remains steady, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 2% growth in employment for masonry workers from 2024 to 2034, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations. This growth, combined with the need to replace experienced workers who retire, is expected to create thousands of openings each year. Earnings in the profession are substantial, with the median annual wage for brickmasons and blockmasons reported at $63,430 in May 2023.
A qualified bricklayer has multiple pathways for career progression after gaining experience in the field. Advancement often involves moving into supervisory roles, such as becoming a foreman, where they oversee a crew and manage the on-site execution of masonry work. With additional training, masons can transition to roles as project managers or estimators, handling budgeting, scheduling, and client communication. Many experienced journeymen also choose to leverage their expertise by establishing their own independent masonry contracting businesses.