Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Albuquerque.
Albuquerque has 32% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 180 in the metro. BLS counts 8 business locations of nonresidential masonry contractors across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Albuquerque.
BLS counts about 4,490 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Albuquerque metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 1,940). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.32). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Albuquerque: 180 employed · $43,910 median, 91st-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Albuquerque: 840 employed · $50,310 median, 65th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Albuquerque: 1,940 employed · $60,080 median, 47th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Albuquerque: 2,280 employed · $75,070 median, 87th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Albuquerque: 1,330 employed · $51,160 median, 73rd-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Albuquerque: 520 employed · $73,090 median, 89th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Albuquerque: 1,210 employed · $101,650 median, 94th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Albuquerque: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Testing Technician
Albuquerque: 200 employed · $65,170 median, 48th-highest of 111 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Rochester, NY, Sacramento, CA too.
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Albuquerque.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Albuquerque earn a median $43,910, 29% under the $62,120 national figure, and 91st of 91 metros. Pay runs $36,160 at the tenth percentile to $52,940 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $65,170 against $64,950 nationally. BLS withholds Albuquerque pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Albuquerque median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $43,910 | $36,160–$52,940 | $62,120 | −29% | 180 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $50,310 | $41,310–$70,270 | $57,020 | −12% | 840 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $60,080 | $41,600–$79,450 | $60,580 | −1% | 1,940 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,070 | $47,960–$99,770 | $79,920 | −6% | 2,280 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $51,160 | $40,600–$67,530 | $59,850 | −15% | 1,330 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,090 | $39,810–$115,970 | $78,740 | −7% | 520 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,650 | $69,860–$157,750 | $114,990 | −12% | 1,210 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | – | – | $46,170 | – | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $65,170 | $49,780–$83,830 | $64,950 | 0% | 200 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Albuquerque metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Albuquerque's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Albuquerque lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 12 business locations to 8 (down 33%), behind the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 8 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Albuquerque rose from 25 in 2018 to 28 in 2023, up 12%, close to the 11% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 5%, to about 529 people. Average annual pay there went from $45,350 to $61,740 (+36%), faster than the 25% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 12 | 8 | −33% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 25 | 28 | +12% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 506 | 529 | +5% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $45,350 | $61,740 | +36% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Masonry & Concrete hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Masonry & Concrete · 2026 Masonry & Concrete Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Masonry & Concrete
Albuquerque runs 56% more masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Albuquerque's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Albuquerque metro had 28 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 529 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $61,740, 17.5% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. The number of these employers fell 3.4%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 3.0 per 100,000 residents against 1.9 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often. These firms account for 2.0% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Albuquerque ranks 50th for headcount, 60th for median pay and 18th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
What this means for hiring:For masonry and concrete employers in Albuquerque, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Albuquerque metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in New Mexico.
New Mexico requires a license for anyone contracting or offering to contract construction work. Specialty classifications include GS-16 Masonry, GS-4 Concrete and GS-1 Acoustical Insulation and Insulation.
Licensing authority: Construction Industries Division, New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Albuquerque talent.
The closest metro we cover is El Paso, about 230 miles away, with roughly 60 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.3 times Albuquerque's 180). El Paso pays the most nearby, a $48,940 median, 11% above Albuquerque. That is the number any Albuquerque offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Albuquerque is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | – | 180 | $43,910 |
| El Paso | 230 mi | 60 | $48,940 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Albuquerque crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Albuquerque in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Sandia National Laboratories Power Sources Capability buildingOne of Sandia's largest projects in a decadeStarted August 2025; final beam installed April 2026; completing 2028
Replaces an aging facility with one designed to adapt to changing weapons-systems missions over the next 50 years. Federal-facility-grade mechanical and electrical construction at a scale few commercial projects in the region reach.
This is the only project we track in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Albuquerque.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end a masonry & concrete offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Masonry & Concrete credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Masonry & Concrete hiring in Albuquerque.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Albuquerque?
BLS puts the Albuquerque median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $43,910 a year, 29% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 91st of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $36,160 to $52,940 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.5x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Albuquerque?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 32% more of the Albuquerque workforce than they do nationally, about 180 people. The 28 nonresidential concrete contractors here average about 19 employees per location. There are 33% fewer of those firms than in 2018, so experienced people have fewer local employers to move between.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Albuquerque?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Albuquerque, a $101,650 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $65,170, 36% below it. Bricklayer / Mason is the lowest-paid field role at $43,910. Bricklayer / Mason trails national pay the most (29% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Albuquerque?
BLS counted 8 nonresidential masonry contractors in Albuquerque in 2023. Down from 12 in 2018, a 33% decline against 6% decline nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. BLS counted 28 nonresidential concrete contractors in Albuquerque in 2023, employing about 529 people between them. Up from 25 in 2018, a 12% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 19 people per location. They pay an average of $61,740, 18% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Albuquerque for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are El Paso (230 miles, about 60, $48,940 median). El Paso pays 11% more, which is where Albuquerque employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Albuquerque has one of the deeper pools of brickmasons and blockmasons we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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