Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Birmingham.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Birmingham than in most of the country, 30% fewer per job, so the roughly 120 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 24 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 Birmingham.
BLS counts about 4,780 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Birmingham metro, the largest group being operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (about 2,070). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.70). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Birmingham: 120 employed · $50,030 median, 80th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Birmingham: 440 employed · $46,390 median, 95th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Birmingham: 1,660 employed · $50,400 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Birmingham: 3,720 employed · $71,280 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Birmingham: 2,070 employed · $54,330 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Birmingham: 810 employed · $79,330 median, 41st-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Birmingham: 2,460 employed · $102,170 median, 89th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Birmingham: 200 employed · $39,400 median, 80th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Birmingham: 290 employed · $56,720 median, 96th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Birmingham.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Birmingham earn a median $50,030, 19% under the $62,120 national figure, and 80th of 91 metros. Pay runs $39,470 at the tenth percentile to $59,140 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $56,720 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Birmingham median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $50,030 | $39,470–$59,140 | $62,120 | −19% | 120 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $46,390 | $36,500–$61,300 | $57,020 | −19% | 440 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $50,400 | $37,480–$63,380 | $60,580 | −17% | 1,660 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $71,280 | $48,070–$123,700 | $79,920 | −11% | 3,720 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $54,330 | $39,760–$74,320 | $59,850 | −9% | 2,070 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $79,330 | $48,290–$129,330 | $78,740 | +1% | 810 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,170 | $63,340–$162,950 | $114,990 | −11% | 2,460 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $39,400 | $29,380–$55,760 | $46,170 | −15% | 200 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $56,720 | $38,630–$79,240 | $64,950 | −13% | 290 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Birmingham 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 Birmingham's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Birmingham lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 26 business locations to 24 (down 8%), close to the 6% national change. Headcount at those firms went down 6%, to about 295 people. Average annual pay there went from $55,800 to $77,188 (+38%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Birmingham rose from 28 in 2018 to 38 in 2023, up 36%, ahead of the 11% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 35%, to about 482 people. Average annual pay there went from $57,042 to $78,822 (+38%), faster than the 25% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 26 | 24 | −8% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 314 | 295 | −6% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $55,800 | $77,188 | +38% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 28 | 38 | +36% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 358 | 482 | +35% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $57,042 | $78,822 | +38% |
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
Birmingham runs 37% 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 Birmingham's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Birmingham metro had 38 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 482 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $78,822, 5.3% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 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. That works out to 3.4 per 100,000 residents against 1.9 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often. These firms account for 1.7% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Birmingham ranks 69th for headcount, 87th for median pay and 76th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 440 | $46,390 | 0.63 | 24 |
| Huntsville | 220 | $47,150 | 0.61 | 4 |
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 Birmingham, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Birmingham metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Alabama.
Alabama requires a state general contractor license for construction projects, including commercial work, costing $100,000 or more in labor and materials. Subcontractors whose own contracts meet that amount must also be licensed. The same state rules apply in Huntsville, so candidates licensed there can work in Birmingham without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Birmingham talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 85 miles away. Chattanooga pays the most nearby, a $69,660 median, 39% above Birmingham. That is the number any Birmingham offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Nashville has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | – | 120 | $50,030 |
| Huntsville | 84 mi | – | – |
| Chattanooga | 135 mi | 150 | $69,660 |
| Atlanta | 140 mi | – | $56,600 |
| Nashville | 183 mi | 540 | $66,380 |
| Pensacola | 216 mi | 50 | $50,390 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Birmingham crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Birmingham in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UAB Biomedical Research and Psychology Building$190MBroke ground June 2024, completing summer 2026
An 8-story, 228,735 sq ft research facility housing wet and dry labs for the Heersink School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology. Lab-grade mechanical, electrical, and process-utility construction at a scale most Birmingham contractors rarely see.
- UAB Hospital North Pavilion / emergency department overhaul$73M ($38M North Pavilion permit)Multi-year, phased
Adds 59 new exam rooms and 66,030 sq ft of new construction to boost emergency-care capacity. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction.
These are the 2 projects we track in Birmingham. The Birmingham market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Birmingham.
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 Birmingham.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Birmingham?
BLS puts the Birmingham median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $50,030 a year, 19% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 80th of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $39,470 to $59,140 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 Birmingham?
Yes. Birmingham has 30% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 120 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 24 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 12 employees per location.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Birmingham?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Birmingham, a $102,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $56,720, 44% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $39,400. Bricklayer / Mason trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Birmingham?
BLS counted 24 nonresidential masonry contractors in Birmingham in 2023, employing about 295 people between them. Down from 26 in 2018, an 8% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $77,188, 13% above the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 38 nonresidential concrete contractors in Birmingham in 2023, employing about 482 people between them. Up from 28 in 2018, a 36% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 13 people per location. They pay an average of $78,822, 5% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Birmingham for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (135 miles, about 150, $69,660 median), Atlanta (140 miles, $56,600 median) and Nashville (183 miles, about 540, $66,380 median). Nashville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Chattanooga pays 39% more, which is where Birmingham employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Birmingham, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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