Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Boston.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Boston earn a $96,960 median, 56% above the national figure, and about 1,060 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 80 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 Boston.
BLS counts about 22,240 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Boston metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 12,720). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.16). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Boston: 1,060 employed · $96,960 median, 3rd-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Boston: 950 employed · $62,870 median, 24th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Boston: 12,720 employed · $75,210 median, 8th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Boston: 13,110 employed · $99,890 median, 10th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Boston: 6,370 employed · $76,940 median, 26th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Boston: 3,110 employed · $102,640 median, highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Boston: 7,570 employed · $156,470 median, 5th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Boston: 500 employed · $55,530 median, 8th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Boston: 640 employed · $69,430 median, 32nd-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Boston.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Boston earn a median $96,960, 56% over the $62,120 national figure, and 3rd of 91 metros. Pay runs $62,720 at the tenth percentile to $136,870 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $76,940 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Boston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $96,960 | $62,720–$136,870 | $62,120 | +56% | 1,060 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $62,870 | $49,350–$111,910 | $57,020 | +10% | 950 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $75,210 | $48,820–$124,190 | $60,580 | +24% | 12,720 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $99,890 | $69,370–$137,990 | $79,920 | +25% | 13,110 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $76,940 | $54,010–$125,860 | $59,850 | +29% | 6,370 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $102,640 | $63,200–$157,200 | $78,740 | +30% | 3,110 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $156,470 | $105,860–$217,860 | $114,990 | +36% | 7,570 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $55,530 | $38,230–$76,710 | $46,170 | +20% | 500 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $69,430 | $49,110–$106,650 | $64,950 | +7% | 640 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Boston 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 Boston's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Boston lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 90 business locations to 80 (down 11%), behind the 6% national decline. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Boston, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs. Boston had 49 nonresidential concrete contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount at those firms went down 3%, to about 1,289 people. Average annual pay there went from $91,183 to $102,552 (+12%), slower than the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 90 | 80 | −11% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 49 | 49 | +0% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 1,326 | 1,289 | −3% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $91,183 | $102,552 | +12% |
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
Boston runs 73% 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 Boston's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Boston metro had 49 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 1,289 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $102,552, 37% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. That works out to 1.0 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, Boston ranks 46th for headcount, 23rd for median pay and 96th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 950 | $62,870 | 0.27 | 80 |
| Worcester | – | – | – | 16 |
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 Boston, 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, Boston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts requires a Construction Supervisor License for work on buildings under 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space. Larger buildings are overseen by a registered design professional instead. The same state rules apply in Worcester, so candidates licensed there can work in Boston without re-qualifying. The Boston metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Office of Public Safety and Inspections, Division of Occupational Licensure. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Boston yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Boston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianTwo decades of HVAC and refrigeration, including chief engineer roles.
Nearby markets competing for Boston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 40 miles away, with roughly 140 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.1 times Boston's 1,060). Boston pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($96,960 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Bridgeport at $58,790. Boston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | – | 1,060 | $96,960 |
| Worcester | 38 mi | 140 | $76,930 |
| Providence | 41 mi | 450 | $86,990 |
| Hartford | 93 mi | 270 | $87,520 |
| Bridgeport | 137 mi | – | $58,790 |
| Albany | 139 mi | 80 | $76,890 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Boston crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Boston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Seaport life-sciences build-out (South Boston)$4B+ pipelinePhased through 2030
New lab towers and biomanufacturing on the waterfront. Specialty cleanroom + process MEP. Coastal cold-climate envelope considerations drive premiums.
- Kendall Square lab & cleanroom towers (Cambridge)$5B+ ongoingPhased through 2030
Densest life-sciences cluster in the world. Cleanroom MEP, lab process piping, high-spec HVAC. Sustained multi-year demand for lab-experienced trades.
- South Station Tower (downtown)$1B+Completed September 2025
Dense downtown high-rise over an active transit hub, now complete - a historical example of the complex logistics and high-rise MEP capacity this metro delivers, not an active current driver.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Boston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Boston.
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 Boston.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Boston?
BLS puts the Boston median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $96,960 a year, 56% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 3rd of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $62,720 at the 10th percentile against $136,870 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Massachusetts metro we cover pays more for this work (Worcester: $76,930).
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Boston?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 16% more of the Boston workforce than they do nationally, about 1,060 people. The 49 nonresidential concrete contractors here average about 26 employees per location. There are 11% 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 Boston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Boston, a $156,470 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $96,960, 38% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $55,530. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (56% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Boston?
BLS counted 80 nonresidential masonry contractors in Boston in 2023. Down from 90 in 2018, an 11% 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 49 nonresidential concrete contractors in Boston in 2023, employing about 1,289 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (49). That averages 26 people per location. They pay an average of $102,552, 37% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Boston for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (38 miles, about 140, $76,930 median), Providence (41 miles, about 450, $86,990 median) and Hartford (93 miles, about 270, $87,520 median). Boston out-pays Worcester, Providence and Hartford, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Boston 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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