Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Baltimore.
Baltimore has 27% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 580 in the metro. BLS counts 47 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 Baltimore.
BLS counts about 9,590 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Baltimore metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 3,870). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.27). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Baltimore: 580 employed · $58,000 median, 65th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Baltimore: 1,390 employed · $51,950 median, 60th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Baltimore: 3,870 employed · $62,380 median, 30th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Baltimore: 7,670 employed · $77,690 median, 64th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Baltimore: 3,350 employed · $60,740 median, 55th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Baltimore: 2,430 employed · $80,130 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Baltimore: 2,780 employed · $121,490 median, 32nd-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Baltimore: 40 employed · $49,020 median, 22nd-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Baltimore: 360 employed · $65,570 median, 46th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Baltimore.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Baltimore earn a median $58,000, 7% under the $62,120 national figure, and 65th of 91 metros. Pay runs $37,700 at the tenth percentile to $70,290 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $65,570 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Baltimore median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $58,000 | $37,700–$70,290 | $62,120 | −7% | 580 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $51,950 | $44,400–$68,590 | $57,020 | −9% | 1,390 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $62,380 | $42,840–$85,470 | $60,580 | +3% | 3,870 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,690 | $56,470–$117,070 | $79,920 | −3% | 7,670 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $60,740 | $47,370–$77,770 | $59,850 | +1% | 3,350 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,130 | $49,750–$126,330 | $78,740 | +2% | 2,430 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $121,490 | $78,560–$211,260 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,780 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $49,020 | $36,910–$61,870 | $46,170 | +6% | 40 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $65,570 | $51,570–$87,100 | $64,950 | +1% | 360 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Baltimore 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 Baltimore's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Baltimore lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 59 business locations to 47 (down 20%), behind the 6% national decline. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Baltimore, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs. Baltimore lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 64 business locations to 59 (down 8%), behind the 11% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 5%, to about 3,474 people. Average annual pay there went from $59,024 to $72,250 (+22%), in step with the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 59 | 47 | −20% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 847 | – | – |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $50,652 | – | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 64 | 59 | −8% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 3,673 | 3,474 | −5% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $59,024 | $72,250 | +22% |
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
Baltimore runs 23% fewer masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Baltimore's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Baltimore metro had 59 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 3,474 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $72,250, 3.5% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 2% over the year, a little behind the 5.5% national increase. That works out to 2.1 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.9 national rate. These firms account for 4.4% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Baltimore ranks 33rd for headcount, 56th for median pay and 63rd for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
What this means for hiring:For masonry and concrete employers in Baltimore, 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, Baltimore metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Maryland.
Maryland has no state license for commercial masonry or concrete contractors. The Maryland Home Improvement Commission license covers improvements to residences and to land adjacent to residences, and explicitly extends to work such as paver patios and retaining walls on residential property, but it is a residential consumer protection credential and not a commercial trade competency license. New home construction is handled by separate builder registration, which is likewise residential. For commercial masonry hiring, check local permitting requirements in the relevant county or city, plus insurance and bonding, rather than looking for a state trade license.
Licensing authority: No state commercial contractor license; the Maryland Home Improvement Commission licenses residential home improvement only. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Baltimore talent.
The closest metro we cover is Washington, D.C., about 35 miles away, with roughly 1,910 brickmasons and blockmasons (3.3 times Baltimore's 580). Philadelphia pays the most nearby, a $75,970 median, 31% above Baltimore. That is the number any Baltimore offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Washington, D.C. has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | – | 580 | $58,000 |
| Washington, D.C. | 36 mi | 1,910 | $60,670 |
| Lancaster | 54 mi | 350 | $63,430 |
| Harrisburg | 70 mi | 80 | $72,730 |
| Philadelphia | 90 mi | 1,210 | $75,970 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 109 mi | 100 | $62,400 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Baltimore crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Baltimore in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild$4B – $4.8BProcurements 2026, construction through 2030
The largest single infrastructure program in Maryland history. MDTA split it into four packages - demolition, north approach, south approach, and main span - specifically to widen the contractor pool. Heavy civil, marine, structural steel, and crane crews in demand for the better part of a decade.
- Tradepoint Atlantic, Sparrows PointMulti-phase, $1B+ invested to dateRolling
The former steel mill site is now the region's industrial engine and the staging/fabrication yard for Key Bridge steel. Structural welders, steel erection crews, millwrights, and industrial electricians all pulled here.
- Port of Baltimore modernizationFederal + state fundedOngoing
Howard Street Tunnel clearance work and terminal upgrades. Heavy equipment operators, riggers, and industrial electrical crews.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Baltimore market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Baltimore.
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 Baltimore.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Baltimore?
BLS puts the Baltimore median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $58,000 a year, 7% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 65th of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $37,700 and $70,290, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Baltimore?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 27% more of the Baltimore workforce than they do nationally, about 580 people. The 59 nonresidential concrete contractors here average about 59 employees per location, which means a handful of large operators set the pace on pay. There are 20% 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 Baltimore?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Baltimore, a $121,490 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $65,570, 46% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $49,020. Relative to national pay, Precast Concrete Technician is the strongest-paying role here (6% above). Concrete Finisher trails national pay the most (9% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Baltimore?
BLS counted 47 nonresidential masonry contractors in Baltimore in 2023. Down from 59 in 2018, a 20% 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 59 nonresidential concrete contractors in Baltimore in 2023, employing about 3,474 people between them. Down from 64 in 2018, a 8% decline against 11% growth nationally. That averages 59 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $72,250, 3% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Baltimore for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Washington, D.C. (36 miles, about 1,910, $60,670 median), Lancaster (54 miles, about 350, $63,430 median) and Harrisburg (70 miles, about 80, $72,730 median). Washington, D.C. has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Lancaster pays 9% more, which is where Baltimore employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Baltimore 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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