Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Charleston.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Charleston than in most of the country, 60% fewer per job, so the roughly 50 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 16 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 Charleston.
BLS counts about 3,430 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charleston metro, the largest group being operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (about 1,470). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.40). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Charleston: 50 employed · $48,690 median, 85th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Charleston: 300 employed · $52,560 median, 58th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Charleston: 1,240 employed · $50,380 median, 83rd-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Charleston: 2,560 employed · $77,470 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Charleston: 1,470 employed · $50,640 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Charleston: 540 employed · $73,130 median, 88th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Charleston: 1,080 employed · $107,610 median, 64th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Charleston: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Testing Technician
Charleston: 370 employed · $55,990 median, 98th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Charleston.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Charleston earn a median $48,690, 22% under the $62,120 national figure, and 85th of 91 metros. Pay runs $35,840 at the tenth percentile to $70,440 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $55,990 against $64,950 nationally. BLS withholds Charleston pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Charleston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $48,690 | $35,840–$70,440 | $62,120 | −22% | 50 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $52,560 | $39,480–$81,540 | $57,020 | −8% | 300 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $50,380 | $36,750–$78,730 | $60,580 | −17% | 1,240 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,470 | $56,770–$106,960 | $79,920 | −3% | 2,560 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $50,640 | $40,540–$72,090 | $59,850 | −15% | 1,470 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,130 | $48,840–$129,520 | $78,740 | −7% | 540 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $107,610 | $72,640–$192,330 | $114,990 | −6% | 1,080 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | – | – | $46,170 | – | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $55,990 | $47,860–$84,340 | $64,950 | −14% | 370 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charleston 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 Charleston's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Charleston had 16 nonresidential masonry contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Charleston rose from 17 in 2018 to 25 in 2023, up 47%, ahead of the 11% national rise. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 16 | 16 | +0% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 17 | 25 | +47% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 191 | – | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $51,907 | – | – |
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
Charleston runs 43% 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 Charleston's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Charleston metro had 25 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. That works out to 3.0 per 100,000 residents against 1.9 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charleston ranks 81st for headcount, 54th for median pay and 82nd for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 470 | $50,510 | 0.81 | 11 |
| Columbia | 350 | $50,680 | 0.66 | 18 |
| Charleston | 300 | $52,560 | 0.57 | 16 |
| Myrtle Beach | 110 | $45,810 | 0.54 | 11 |
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 Charleston, 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, Charleston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in South Carolina.
South Carolina requires a general or mechanical contractor license for work where the total construction cost is more than $10,000; a 2023 act raised this from $5,000. License classifications include Concrete and Masonry. The same state rules apply in Greenville, Columbia and Myrtle Beach, so candidates licensed there can work in Charleston without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Charleston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Myrtle Beach, about 85 miles away, with roughly 50 brickmasons and blockmasons (1.0 times Charleston's 50). Jacksonville pays the most nearby, a $58,490 median, 20% above Charleston. That is the number any Charleston offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | – | 50 | $48,690 |
| Myrtle Beach | 87 mi | 50 | $47,220 |
| Columbia | 106 mi | 80 | $48,590 |
| Augusta | 128 mi | – | – |
| Charlotte | 177 mi | 760 | $52,500 |
| Jacksonville | 197 mi | 130 | $58,490 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Charleston crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charleston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- I-526 / Long Point Road interchange$227MDesign underway (Parsons)
Major interchange reconstruction feeding the region's port and industrial corridor - sustained heavy-civil and paving demand.
- Port of Charleston terminal expansionsMultiple concurrent projectsRo-ro terminal operational 2027, full completion 2028; Leatherman Berth 2 under construction
North Charleston Terminal expansion (3.4M TEU capacity via the former WestRock site), Leatherman Terminal's second berth (toward 2.4M TEU at full buildout), and a new ro-ro terminal doubling vehicle throughput to 500,000+ annually - sustained port-facility construction across three separate terminals.
- Boeing South Carolina final assembly building expansion$1B+Ramping to 10 airplanes/month in 2026
A new 1.2 million sq ft final assembly building in North Charleston - aerospace-grade electrical, mechanical, and fabrication demand at a scale unmatched elsewhere in the metro.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Charleston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Charleston.
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 Charleston.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Charleston?
BLS puts the Charleston median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $48,690 a year, 22% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 85th of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $35,840 and $70,440, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other South Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Charleston?
Yes. Charleston has 60% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 50 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Charleston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Charleston, a $107,610 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $55,990, 48% below it. Bricklayer / Mason is the lowest-paid field role at $48,690. Bricklayer / Mason trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Charleston?
BLS counted 16 nonresidential masonry contractors in Charleston in 2023. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (16). 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 25 nonresidential concrete contractors in Charleston in 2023. Up from 17 in 2018, a 47% increase against 11% growth 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.
Which nearby metros compete with Charleston for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Myrtle Beach (87 miles, about 50, $47,220 median), Columbia (106 miles, about 80, $48,590 median) and Charlotte (177 miles, about 760, $52,500 median). Columbia has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Charlotte pays 8% more, which is where Charleston employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Charleston, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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