Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Allentown-Bethlehem.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Allentown-Bethlehem than in most of the country, 24% fewer per job, so the roughly 100 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 7 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 Allentown-Bethlehem.
BLS counts about 2,810 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Allentown-Bethlehem metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 1,390). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.76). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Allentown-Bethlehem: 100 employed · $62,400 median, 49th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Allentown-Bethlehem: 220 employed · $62,970 median, 23rd-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Allentown-Bethlehem: 1,390 employed · $59,540 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Allentown-Bethlehem: 1,280 employed · $82,490 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Allentown-Bethlehem: 920 employed · $63,050 median, 46th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Allentown-Bethlehem: 540 employed · $76,810 median, 68th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Allentown-Bethlehem: 360 employed · $112,900 median, 49th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Allentown-Bethlehem: 110 employed · $48,130 median, 28th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Allentown-Bethlehem: 70 employed · $67,720 median, 38th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Allentown-Bethlehem.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Allentown-Bethlehem earn a median $62,400, level with the $62,120 national figure, and 49th of 91 metros. Pay runs $50,170 at the tenth percentile to $82,050 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $67,720 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Allentown-Bethlehem median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $62,400 | $50,170–$82,050 | $62,120 | 0% | 100 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $62,970 | $45,660–$87,670 | $57,020 | +10% | 220 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $59,540 | $38,960–$86,610 | $60,580 | −2% | 1,390 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,490 | $59,740–$139,340 | $79,920 | +3% | 1,280 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $63,050 | $47,220–$93,730 | $59,850 | +5% | 920 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $76,810 | $51,210–$126,660 | $78,740 | −2% | 540 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $112,900 | $80,630–$191,870 | $114,990 | −2% | 360 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $48,130 | $38,160–$57,180 | $46,170 | +4% | 110 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $67,720 | $50,020–$81,010 | $64,950 | +4% | 70 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Allentown-Bethlehem 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 Allentown-Bethlehem's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Allentown-Bethlehem lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 8 business locations to 7 (down 12%), behind the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Allentown-Bethlehem rose from 10 in 2018 to 11 in 2023, up 10%, close to the 11% national change. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 8 | 7 | −12% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | – | 55 | – |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | – | $67,895 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 10 | 11 | +10% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | – | 129 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | – | $70,207 | – |
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
Allentown-Bethlehem runs 57% fewer masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — well below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Allentown-Bethlehem's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Allentown-Bethlehem metro had 11 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 129 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $70,207, 6.2% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 16.2% over the year even as it grew 5.5% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. The number of these employers fell 8.3%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 1.2 per 100,000 residents against 1.9 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro. These firms account for 1.0% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Allentown-Bethlehem ranks 86th for headcount, 22nd for median pay and 91st for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. That makes it one of the thinnest masonry and concrete labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,870 | $60,900 | 0.49 | 121 |
| Pittsburgh | 1,500 | $63,310 | 1.02 | 39 |
| Lancaster | 470 | $59,800 | 1.39 | 15 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 220 | $62,970 | 0.43 | 7 |
| Scranton | 140 | $58,000 | 0.40 | 5 |
| Harrisburg | 120 | $60,590 | 0.28 | 7 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For masonry and concrete employers in Allentown-Bethlehem, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Allentown-Bethlehem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Labor and Industry states directly that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors, which includes masonry and concrete. The only statewide registration is Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Attorney General, and that is a residential consumer protection registration requiring insurance and compliant contracts, not a trade competency license. Some of Pennsylvania's roughly 2,562 municipalities impose their own contractor licensing or registration, and the Commonwealth keeps no record of those, so the local municipality must be contacted directly. For commercial masonry hiring, verify insurance, bonding and any municipal registration for the job location. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Allentown-Bethlehem without re-qualifying. The Allentown-Bethlehem metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: No state contractor license; Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is residential consumer protection only, and some municipalities impose their own requirements. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Allentown-Bethlehem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Philadelphia, about 50 miles away, with roughly 1,210 brickmasons and blockmasons (12.1 times Allentown-Bethlehem's 100). New York pays the most nearby, a $92,300 median, 48% above Allentown-Bethlehem. That is the number any Allentown-Bethlehem offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. New York has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem | – | 100 | $62,400 |
| Philadelphia | 48 mi | 1,210 | $75,970 |
| Scranton | 56 mi | – | – |
| Lancaster | 58 mi | 350 | $63,430 |
| Harrisburg | 77 mi | 80 | $72,730 |
| New York | 78 mi | 3,010 | $92,300 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Allentown-Bethlehem crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Allentown-Bethlehem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Bethlehem Steel logistics and distribution hubUndisclosedUnder development
A New Jersey-based developer's plan to transform a portion of the former Bethlehem Steel complex into a modern logistics hub - described as one of the largest construction projects in the Lehigh Valley in recent years.
- PA SITES brownfield redevelopment (Bethlehem Steel)$500M statewide program (~$400M to PA SITES)Signed into law; rollout underway
Governor Shapiro signed the program into law at the former Bethlehem Steel campus, funding remediation to turn old industrial sites into shovel-ready properties for new business - a direct, symbolic anchor in this metro.
- LVHN neighborhood hospitals (Hellertown + Tannersville)UndisclosedHellertown underway; Tannersville opening winter 2026
A three-story, 90,000 sq ft neighborhood hospital in Hellertown and a new health care campus in Tannersville near I-80 - Lehigh Valley Health Network's fourth and fifth such facilities.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Allentown-Bethlehem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Allentown-Bethlehem.
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 Allentown-Bethlehem.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Allentown-Bethlehem?
BLS puts the Allentown-Bethlehem median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $62,400 a year, about the same as the $62,120 national median. That ranks 49th of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Pay is bunched together here, $50,170 to $82,050 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh pays more, at $76,940.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Allentown-Bethlehem?
Yes. Allentown-Bethlehem has 24% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 100 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 7 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 7.9 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. There are 12% 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 Allentown-Bethlehem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Allentown-Bethlehem, a $112,900 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $67,720, 40% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $48,130. Relative to national pay, Concrete Finisher is the strongest-paying role here (10% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Allentown-Bethlehem?
BLS counted 7 nonresidential masonry contractors in Allentown-Bethlehem in 2023, employing about 55 people between them. Down from 8 in 2018, a 12% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 7.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $68,219. BLS counted 11 nonresidential concrete contractors in Allentown-Bethlehem in 2023, employing about 129 people between them. Up from 10 in 2018, a 10% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $70,207, 6% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Allentown-Bethlehem for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Philadelphia (48 miles, about 1,210, $75,970 median), Lancaster (58 miles, about 350, $63,430 median) and Harrisburg (77 miles, about 80, $72,730 median). Philadelphia has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Philadelphia pays 22% more, which is where Allentown-Bethlehem employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Allentown-Bethlehem, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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