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Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Charlotte.

Charlotte has 66% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 760 in the metro. BLS counts 36 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 Charlotte.

BLS counts about 11,110 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charlotte metro, the largest group being operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (about 4,440). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.66). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.

Bricklayer / Mason

Charlotte: 760 employed · $52,500 median, 73rd-highest of 91 metros

Concrete Finisher

Charlotte: 1,390 employed · $48,200 median, 81st-highest of 111 metros

Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter

Charlotte: 3,730 employed · $50,960 median, 72nd-highest of 112 metros

Masonry Foreman

Charlotte: 9,670 employed · $77,300 median, 69th-highest of 112 metros

Concrete Pump Operator

Charlotte: 4,440 employed · $50,870 median, 79th-highest of 112 metros

Estimator

Charlotte: 2,360 employed · $77,990 median, 57th-highest of 111 metros

Project Manager

Charlotte: 5,450 employed · $107,200 median, 65th-highest of 111 metros

Restoration Mason

Precast Concrete Technician

Charlotte: 150 employed · $39,980 median, 77th-highest of 85 metros

Concrete Testing Technician

Charlotte: 640 employed · $50,250 median, 105th-highest of 111 metros

What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Charlotte.

Brickmasons and blockmasons in Charlotte earn a median $52,500, 15% under the $62,120 national figure, and 73rd of 91 metros. Pay runs $43,850 at the tenth percentile to $61,690 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is carpenters, at $50,960 against $60,580 nationally.

What these roles pay in Charlotte
RoleCharlotte medianTypical rangeNational medianvs. nationalEmployed locally
Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021)$52,500$43,850–$61,690$62,120−15%760
Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051)$48,200$38,500–$63,280$57,020−15%1,390
Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031)$50,960$38,240–$65,640$60,580−16%3,730
Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011)$77,300$57,430–$107,080$79,920−3%9,670
Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073)$50,870$41,970–$70,400$59,850−15%4,440
EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051)$77,990$47,520–$127,690$78,740−1%2,360
Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021)$107,200$68,960–$175,220$114,990−7%5,450
Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195)$39,980$31,580–$49,770$46,170−13%150
Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022)$50,250$42,130–$77,480$64,950−23%640

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charlotte 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 Charlotte's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.

Charlotte lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 39 business locations to 36 (down 8%), close to the 6% national change. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Charlotte rose from 54 in 2018 to 68 in 2023, up 26%, ahead of the 11% national rise. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Charlotte, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.

Charlotte, 2018 vs 2023
Measure20182023Change
Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations3936−8%
Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment–531–
Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay–$72,480–
Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations5468+26%
Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment1,614––
Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay$60,647––

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.

Charlotte · masonry and concrete · market scale
1,390employed in the Charlotte metro
0.77concentration vs. the national rate
$48,200BLS metro median, all cement masons and concrete finishers

Charlotte 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.

Local market detail

How Charlotte's masonry and concrete market compares

36nonresidential masonry contractors in the metro
531people on their payrolls
$72,480average annual pay at these firms
+9.0%change in headcount over the year
68nonresidential concrete contractors in the metro

In 2023 the Charlotte metro had 68 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. The number of these employers rose 3%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 2.4 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, Charlotte ranks 33rd for headcount, 74th for median pay and 63rd for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.

North Carolina metros we cover: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
MetroEmployedMedian payConcentrationCommercial employers
Charlotte1,390$48,2000.7736
Raleigh870$47,4300.8822
Greensboro440$46,0300.903
Winston-Salem210$44,6800.5816
Durham-Chapel Hill140$44,4200.314

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 Charlotte, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.

Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Charlotte metro. Employers are counted by business location.

Masonry & Concrete licensing in North Carolina.

North Carolina requires a general contractor license for construction projects costing $40,000 or more. The same state rules apply in Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Charlotte without re-qualifying. The Charlotte metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.

Licensing authority: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.

Nearby markets competing for Charlotte talent.

The closest metro we cover is Winston-Salem, about 70 miles away, with roughly 140 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.2 times Charlotte's 760). Charlotte pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($52,500 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Winston-Salem at $47,910. Charlotte is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.

Brickmasons and blockmasons within 300 miles
MetroDistanceEmployedMedian pay
Charlotte–760$52,500
Winston-Salem69 mi140$47,910
Greensboro83 mi––
Columbia85 mi80$48,590
Greenville91 mi60$49,730
Durham-Chapel Hill121 mi––

BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.

MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, CHARLOTTE

What else is competing for Charlotte crews.

Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charlotte in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.

  • Novant Health system expansionsMulti-campus program
    Rolling through 2027

    Tower additions and outpatient build-out across the metro. Steady healthcare-grade MEP demand - medical gas, isolation-room mechanical, and life-safety systems.

  • Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) capital programMulti-billion, phased
    Through 2027+

    Terminal Lobby Expansion plus concourse and airfield work. Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty finish demand on a rolling, multi-phase crew schedule.

  • Eli Lilly manufacturing plant (Concord, NC)$2B+ committed
    Ribbon-cut June 2024; production began end of 2024, shipping since 2025; still ramping toward its ~600-employee full capacity (about 400 filled at ribbon-cutting)

    The main construction phase is complete - a historical example of the pharmaceutical process capacity this metro delivers, not an active current construction driver, though continued hiring/ramp-up work continues.

Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Charlotte market page lists them all.

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN THE HIRE, CHARLOTTE

What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Charlotte.

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 Charlotte.

What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Charlotte?

BLS puts the Charlotte median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $52,500 a year, 15% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 73rd of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $43,850 to $61,690 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.4x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. No other North Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.

Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Charlotte?

Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 66% more of the Charlotte workforce than they do nationally, about 760 people. The 36 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 15 employees per location.

Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Charlotte?

Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Charlotte, a $107,200 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $52,500, 51% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $39,980. Concrete Testing Technician trails national pay the most (23% below).

How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Charlotte?

BLS counted 36 nonresidential masonry contractors in Charlotte in 2023, employing about 531 people between them. Down from 39 in 2018, an 8% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay an average of $72,480, 6% above the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 68 nonresidential concrete contractors in Charlotte in 2023. Up from 54 in 2018, a 26% 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 Charlotte for brickmasons and blockmasons?

The closest metros we cover with published figures are Winston-Salem (69 miles, about 140, $47,910 median), Columbia (85 miles, about 80, $48,590 median) and Greenville (91 miles, about 60, $49,730 median). Charlotte out-pays Winston-Salem, Columbia and Greenville, an advantage when recruiting from there.

Plenty of people. Few of them looking.

Charlotte 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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