Bricklayer and Stonemason
Impact: Building the walls, foundations, and structures that form the physical fabric of the built environment
Lay bricks, blocks, and stone to construct walls, foundations, and structural elements of buildings, combining traditional masonry skills with modern construction techniques to build structures that will stand for generations. Lay bricks and blocks; construct stone walls; point and repoint mortar joints; build arches and decorative features; and restore and repair heritage masonry. Develop expertise in a specific masonry domain such as heritage stone restoration, decorative brickwork, or structural masonry.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 50% Team / 50% Solo
- Client facing
- Sometimes
- Impact visibility
- Very High
- Travel
- 20-40% travel to sites
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40-52 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $42,000
- Entry-level
- $22,000 - $32,000
- Senior
- $75,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 5% (housing construction and heritage restoration sustaining demand)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- High
- Salary growth potential
- High -- 80-200% growth from apprentice to masonry business owner
- Typical student debt
- $0 - $10,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Bricklaying (English bond
- Flemish bond
- stretcher bond)
- Stonework (coursed and random rubble)
- Mortar mixing and pointing
- Arch construction
- Heritage masonry restoration
- CSCS card compliance
Soft skills
- Attention to detail
- Physical fitness
- Craftsmanship
- Problem-solving
- Reliability
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Certificate or Vocational Training
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-12 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Labourer
- Plasterer
Where you can go from here
- Heritage Stonemason
- Masonry Business Owner
Typical progression
- Masonry Apprentice
- Bricklayer
- Senior Bricklayer
- Masonry Business Owner
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 10% -- bricklaying robots are developing; heritage masonry and complex work remain human
- AI disruption risk
- Very Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 7.5/10
- Meaning
- 8/10
- Work-life balance
- 7/10
- Prestige
- 6.5/10
- Social perception
- Moderate