A brickmason in New York earns a median $45.40 an hour in 2026. A brickmason in Mississippi earns $22.55. Same trowel, same 500-brick day, same wear on the shoulders and lower back — and a 101% pay gap separating them. The national median for SOC 47-2021, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, sits at $31.22/hr ($64,940/year), which makes masonry one of the better-paying trades that does not require a state license in most jurisdictions. Workers deserve to know exactly where they stand in that distribution, so here is the full picture: every state, every percentile that matters, and the adjustments that separate a good paycheck from a good living.
The 2026 National Picture: $31.22/hr for a Shrinking Workforce
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics counts roughly 85,000 employed brickmasons and blockmasons nationally — down from over 100,000 a decade ago, and that contraction is doing more for wages than any legislation has. The 2026 distribution for SOC 47-2021:
- Median: $31.22/hr ($64,940/year at 2,080 hours)
- 10th percentile: $19.60/hr — helpers-turned-layers, residential veneer work in the Southeast
- 25th percentile: $24.35/hr — residential production masonry, non-union commercial
- 75th percentile: $40.10/hr — union commercial layers, institutional work
- 90th percentile: $50.85/hr — foremen, restoration specialists, high-union metros
That median is up 3.9% from 2025, against CPI inflation near 2.7% — a real gain of 1.2 points, and the strongest year-over-year increase among the structural trades. The mechanism is simple scarcity. The average working mason is 45 years old. Apprenticeship completions in the trade run under 2,000 per year nationally while retirements exceed 4,000. Every mason contractor I have interviewed in the past year reports turning down work for lack of layers.
One caution the raw table cannot show you: masonry is seasonal in the northern half of the country. ACI 530 cold-weather provisions and most specifications shut down mortar work below 40°F without heated enclosures, which means a Minnesota mason at $36.65/hr may log 1,700-1,900 hours in a bad year, not 2,080. The annual column below assumes full-year employment. Northern workers should discount it 8-15%; employers who want to retain layers year-round should be pricing winter protection into their bids rather than laying crews off — the replacement cost of a productive layer exceeds the cost of tenting and heat.
Full 50-State Mason Wage Table (2026)
Every state plus the District of Columbia, median hourly and annual, SOC 47-2021. Annual assumes 2,080 hours.
| State | Median Hourly | Median Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $23.75 | $49,400 |
| Alaska | $40.10 | $83,410 |
| Arizona | $29.70 | $61,780 |
| Arkansas | $23.35 | $48,570 |
| California | $39.45 | $82,060 |
| Colorado | $31.85 | $66,250 |
| Connecticut | $36.25 | $75,400 |
| Delaware | $31.50 | $65,520 |
| District of Columbia | $35.45 | $73,740 |
| Florida | $26.45 | $55,020 |
| Georgia | $26.60 | $55,330 |
| Hawaii | $43.75 | $91,000 |
| Idaho | $27.45 | $57,100 |
| Illinois | $41.35 | $86,010 |
| Indiana | $29.25 | $60,840 |
| Iowa | $29.00 | $60,320 |
| Kansas | $28.05 | $58,340 |
| Kentucky | $25.55 | $53,140 |
| Louisiana | $25.75 | $53,560 |
| Maine | $29.85 | $62,090 |
| Maryland | $32.25 | $67,080 |
| Massachusetts | $38.25 | $79,560 |
| Michigan | $30.95 | $64,380 |
| Minnesota | $36.65 | $76,230 |
| Mississippi | $22.55 | $46,900 |
| Missouri | $32.00 | $66,560 |
| Montana | $29.45 | $61,260 |
| Nebraska | $27.80 | $57,820 |
| Nevada | $34.30 | $71,340 |
| New Hampshire | $30.65 | $63,750 |
| New Jersey | $40.60 | $84,450 |
| New Mexico | $26.15 | $54,390 |
| New York | $45.40 | $94,430 |
| North Carolina | $26.35 | $54,810 |
| North Dakota | $29.70 | $61,780 |
| Ohio | $31.35 | $65,210 |
| Oklahoma | $24.95 | $51,900 |
| Oregon | $37.40 | $77,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $33.70 | $70,100 |
| Rhode Island | $33.30 | $69,260 |
| South Carolina | $24.00 | $49,920 |
| South Dakota | $25.80 | $53,660 |
| Tennessee | $25.30 | $52,620 |
| Texas | $27.25 | $56,680 |
| Utah | $28.65 | $59,590 |
| Vermont | $30.15 | $62,710 |
| Virginia | $29.15 | $60,630 |
| Washington | $38.85 | $80,810 |
| West Virginia | $24.35 | $50,650 |
| Wisconsin | $33.05 | $68,740 |
| Wyoming | $28.35 | $58,970 |
| National Median | $31.22 | $64,940 |
Top 5 and Bottom 5: The $22.85/hr Spread
Top 5 — Union Density Sets the Ceiling
- New York — $45.40/hr. BAC Local 1 journeyman scale in the five boroughs runs $58-$64/hr on the check before fringes, and restoration work on pre-war masonry stock is effectively a permanent public-works program. Upstate residential layers earn $28-$33/hr; the state median splits the two markets.
- Hawaii — $43.75/hr. CMU construction dominates because of termites and hurricanes — block is the default wall system, and every layer on the islands knows it. Materials arrive by barge; labor cannot.
- Illinois — $41.35/hr. Chicago-area BAC scale plus the state Prevailing Wage Act, which pushes every public school, library, and municipal job to union rates.
- New Jersey — $40.60/hr. North Jersey rides NYC scale; the state's prevailing wage threshold of $2,000 is among the lowest in the country, so nearly all public work pays the rate.
- Alaska — $40.10/hr. Small workforce, short season, remote-site premiums. Layers stack 50-60 hour weeks May through September.
Bottom 5 — Right-to-Work, Residential Veneer, 1099 Abuse
Mississippi ($22.55), Arkansas ($23.35), Alabama ($23.75), South Carolina ($24.00), West Virginia ($24.35). Every one is a right-to-work state with construction union density below 6%. The work mix skews toward residential brick veneer, where subcontracting through labor brokers and misclassification as independent contractors suppress the W-2 median. A layer running 400-500 brick per day at piece rate in Alabama can gross $27-$30/hr in season — but with no workers' comp coverage, no overtime protection under FLSA Section 7, and no employer FICA contribution. That last item alone is a hidden 7.65% pay cut. Misclassification is wage theft with paperwork, and it is most common exactly where the median is lowest.
Union vs. Non-Union: $17.40/hr in Total Package
The Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) 2026 journeyman average across major metros is $41.90/hr base, against a $29.10/hr non-union commercial average — a 44% base-wage premium. The full accounting:
- Union journeyman: $41.90 base + $23-$27/hr in fringes (BAC/IU pension, International Health Fund, annuity, IMI training) = roughly $66/hr total package
- Non-union commercial mason: $29.10 base + $2-$4/hr typical benefits value = roughly $32.50/hr package
That is a total-compensation gap of about $33/hr, or over $68,000 per year at full hours. Even conceding that union masonry work concentrates in perhaps 15 strong-density states, the arithmetic is not close. The counterargument — that union markets have higher living costs — is addressed in the next section, and it survives the adjustment. Workers comparing offers should also compare the fringe sheet line by line, not just the check rate; a $3/hr difference in pension contribution is worth roughly $130,000 over 20 years before investment returns.
Similar dynamics govern the other structural trades — the pattern is nearly identical in ironworker wages by state, where union density drives an even wider coastal-to-Southern spread, and in carpenter wages by state.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment: Where $31/hr Actually Buys Something
Nominal wages mislead. Divide each state's median by its cost-of-living index (national average = 100) and the map reorders:
| State | Nominal Wage | COL Index | Adjusted Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $41.35 | 93 | $44.46 |
| Minnesota | $36.65 | 94 | $38.99 |
| Missouri | $32.00 | 88 | $36.36 |
| New York | $45.40 | 123 | $36.91 |
| Wisconsin | $33.05 | 95 | $34.79 |
| Nevada | $34.30 | 101 | $33.96 |
| California | $39.45 | 138 | $28.59 |
| Hawaii | $43.75 | 179 | $24.44 |
| Mississippi | $22.55 | 86 | $26.22 |
Illinois is the best real-money state for masons in the country — top-3 nominal wage against below-average living costs. Missouri and Minnesota follow the same Midwest formula: union scale, cheap housing. Hawaii's $43.75/hr, the second-highest nominal figure in the table, is worth less in purchasing power than Mississippi's $22.55/hr. A mason weighing relocation should run this arithmetic before loading the truck, and should weigh one more factor the index misses: winter downtime in the Midwest versus year-round laying in the Sun Belt.
The Apprenticeship Path: Three to Four Years to Journeyman
Masonry apprenticeships registered under 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30 run 3-4 years — typically 4,500-6,000 on-the-job hours plus a minimum 144 classroom hours per year. The wage ladder is standardized:
- Year 1: 50-60% of journeyman scale — $16-$21/hr in union programs, with fringes from day one
- Year 2: 65-70% — $21-$27/hr
- Year 3: 75-85% — $26-$34/hr
- Year 4 / journeyman: full scale
The BAC/IMI International Masonry Training and Education Foundation programs are free to the apprentice — no tuition, no debt — which makes the four-year opportunity cost calculation lopsided against a state university degree. A union masonry apprentice in Chicago earns roughly $190,000 in wages and accrues four years of pension credit while a peer accumulates $110,000 in student debt. Where the programs rank state by state is covered in our apprenticeship program rankings. Non-union paths exist through ABC chapters and the Mason Contractors Association, but wage progression is discretionary rather than contractual — get every step increase in writing.
One protective note for apprentices: 29 CFR 30.3 prohibits discrimination in apprenticeship on race, sex, and national origin, and complaint procedures run through your State Apprenticeship Agency or the DOL Office of Apprenticeship. Programs that skip your step raises or keep you on scaffold-tending past your rotation schedule are violating their registered standards. Document and report it.
2026 Outlook: Scarcity Wins
Three forces hold mason wages on their current trajectory:
- Demographics. With a median workforce age of 45 and completions running half of retirements, the layer shortage deepens through at least 2030. BLS projects roughly 2,900 annual openings against under 2,000 completions.
- Institutional and data-center work. CMU remains the specified wall system for schools, correctional facilities, and increasingly for data-center shells where fire rating and hardening matter. That is union-heavy, prevailing-wage-heavy work.
- Silica enforcement raising the compliance floor. OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standard, 29 CFR 1926.1153, sets a permissible exposure limit of 50 µg/m³ — and tuckpointing, block cutting, and mortar grinding are among the highest-exposure tasks in construction. Enforcement pressure is pushing marginal low-bid contractors out and consolidating work with employers who run vacuum shrouds and wet saws. That consolidation supports wages. If your employer hands you a grinder with no shroud and no water, that is a documented violation, not a working condition.
Expect the national median to reach $32.30-$32.60/hr by mid-2027 — another 3.5-4.5% gain.
For contractors pricing masonry work: the wage is only the visible cost. Workers' comp on masonry classifications runs $9-$16 per $100 of payroll, and FICA, FUTA, SUTA, and liability stack on top. Run the true number through our labor burden calculator before committing to a unit price on block — a $32/hr layer is a $47-$52/hr cost in most states.
Frequently Asked Questions
What state pays masons the most in 2026?
New York, at a $45.40/hr median ($94,430/year), followed by Hawaii at $43.75/hr and Illinois at $41.35/hr. Adjusted for cost of living, Illinois is first by a wide margin — $41.35/hr against a COL index of 93.
How much do union masons make compared to non-union?
BAC journeyman base scale averages $41.90/hr in 2026 versus $29.10/hr non-union commercial — a 44% premium. Including pension, health, and annuity fringes, the total-package gap is roughly $33/hr, or $68,000+ per year at full hours.
Is masonry a dying trade?
No — it is a shrinking-supply trade, which is different. Employment has declined to roughly 85,000, but demand for CMU institutional construction and restoration work has not fallen with it. The result is the strongest wage growth among structural trades: 3.9% in 2026 against 2.7% inflation.
How long does a masonry apprenticeship take?
Three to four years: 4,500-6,000 on-the-job hours plus at least 144 classroom hours annually, under standards registered per 29 CFR Part 29. Starting pay is 50-60% of journeyman scale with contractual step raises. Union BAC/IMI programs charge no tuition.
Do masons earn more than carpenters?
Yes, by about $2/hr at the national median — $31.22/hr for masons (SOC 47-2021) versus $29.14/hr for carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in 2026. The gap reflects a smaller labor pool and higher physical attrition in masonry.
What is the biggest health risk affecting mason pay and careers?
Respirable crystalline silica. OSHA's 29 CFR 1926.1153 caps exposure at 50 µg/m³ over an 8-hour shift; cutting, grinding, and tuckpointing without engineering controls routinely exceed it several times over. Silicosis ends careers a decade early — insist on wet methods or vacuum dust collection, which the standard's Table 1 requires for those tasks.
Your Action Item for This Week
If you lay brick or block: find your state in the table and compare your rate. If you are more than 10% below your state median with five or more years on the trowel, the market is telling you to get competing offers — completions are running half of retirements, and that leverage belongs to you, not your employer. Also pull your last pay stub and confirm you are W-2, not 1099; if a broker has you misclassified, you are losing 7.65% in FICA plus comp coverage, and a wage-and-hour complaint costs you nothing to file. If you employ masons: check every layer against the state table and run true crew cost through the labor burden calculator before your next bid. Losing a 500-brick-a-day layer to a $3/hr gap is the most expensive savings in the trade.
Sources & Data Cited
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), SOC 47-2021: www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472021.htm
- OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica standard, 29 CFR 1926.1153
- DOL Registered Apprenticeship standards, 29 CFR Parts 29-30
- International Masonry Institute wage and training data, 2026
- Related: Carpenter Wages by State 2026 | Ironworker Wages by State 2026
