Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Cleveland.
Cleveland has 62% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 560 in the metro. BLS counts 42 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 Cleveland.
BLS counts about 7,880 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Cleveland metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 3,280). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.62). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Cleveland: 560 employed · $78,530 median, 12th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Cleveland: 900 employed · $66,080 median, 12th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Cleveland: 3,280 employed · $60,650 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Cleveland: 3,550 employed · $80,610 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Cleveland: 2,660 employed · $71,740 median, 31st-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Cleveland: 1,390 employed · $78,120 median, 54th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Cleveland: 2,630 employed · $101,440 median, 97th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Cleveland: 220 employed · $39,060 median, 82nd-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Cleveland: 260 employed · $67,390 median, 40th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Cleveland.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Cleveland earn a median $78,530, 26% over the $62,120 national figure, and 12th of 91 metros. Pay runs $46,550 at the tenth percentile to $83,630 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $71,740 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Cleveland median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $78,530 | $46,550–$83,630 | $62,120 | +26% | 560 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $66,080 | $44,500–$85,900 | $57,020 | +16% | 900 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $60,650 | $43,610–$86,870 | $60,580 | 0% | 3,280 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,610 | $58,220–$106,340 | $79,920 | +1% | 3,550 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $71,740 | $48,000–$99,760 | $59,850 | +20% | 2,660 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,120 | $50,350–$128,440 | $78,740 | −1% | 1,390 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,440 | $58,560–$162,750 | $114,990 | −12% | 2,630 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $39,060 | $32,220–$58,080 | $46,170 | −15% | 220 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $67,390 | $45,680–$99,500 | $64,950 | +4% | 260 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Cleveland 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 Cleveland's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Cleveland had 42 nonresidential masonry contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Cleveland, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs. Cleveland lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 39 business locations to 37 (down 5%), behind the 11% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 718. Average annual pay there went from $72,911 to $78,293 (+7%), slower than the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 42 | 42 | +0% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 39 | 37 | −5% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 705 | 718 | +2% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $72,911 | $78,293 | +7% |
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
Cleveland runs 34% 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 Cleveland's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Cleveland metro had 37 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 718 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $78,293, 4.6% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 0.6% over the year, a little behind the 5.5% national increase. That works out to 1.8 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.9 national rate. These firms account for 1.9% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Cleveland ranks 48th for headcount, 11th for median pay and 72nd for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 1,410 | $62,990 | 0.97 | 38 |
| Columbus | 1,000 | $64,910 | 0.68 | 27 |
| Cleveland | 900 | $66,080 | 0.66 | 42 |
| Akron | 390 | $63,850 | 0.91 | 15 |
| Dayton | 260 | $62,580 | 0.53 | 6 |
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 Cleveland, 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, Cleveland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Ohio.
Ohio's state board licenses commercial contractors in only five trades: electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration. Masonry, concrete and insulation are not among the state-licensed trades. The same state rules apply in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Akron, so candidates licensed there can work in Cleveland without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Cleveland talent.
The closest metro we cover is Akron, about 30 miles away. Cleveland pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($78,530 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Detroit at $62,830. Detroit has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | – | 560 | $78,530 |
| Akron | 30 mi | – | – |
| Detroit | 90 mi | 1,120 | $62,830 |
| Pittsburgh | 115 mi | 590 | $76,940 |
| Columbus | 126 mi | 430 | $73,550 |
| Buffalo | 173 mi | 290 | $76,800 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Cleveland crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Cleveland in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute$1.1BOpening January 18, 2027
1M sq ft, 210 inpatient rooms, 36 neuro ICU beds, 16 operating rooms. One of the largest single healthcare capital projects in Ohio, requiring hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction at scale.
- Cleveland Clinic Avon campus expansion$322MBroke ground July 2026, completing 2029
Multi-phase expansion of Avon Hospital and the Richard E. Jacobs Health Center, adding ~250,000 sq ft of clinical space in Lorain County. Sustained, multi-year mechanical and plumbing demand outside the core city.
- Cleveland Clinic Unified Operations Center$142M26-month build, completing late 2028
650,000 sq ft facility in Walton Hills for 526 relocated/new jobs. Large-footprint commercial construction and MEP fit-out, distinct from the hospital-grade work driving the other Clinic projects.
These are the 3 projects we track in Cleveland. The Cleveland market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Cleveland.
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 Cleveland.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Cleveland?
BLS puts the Cleveland median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $78,530 a year, 26% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 12th of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $46,550 and $83,630, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Cleveland?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 62% more of the Cleveland workforce than they do nationally, about 560 people. The 37 nonresidential concrete contractors here average about 19 employees per location.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Cleveland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Cleveland, a $101,440 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $78,530, 23% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $39,060. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (26% above). Precast Concrete Technician trails national pay the most (15% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Cleveland?
BLS counted 42 nonresidential masonry contractors in Cleveland in 2023. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (42). 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 37 nonresidential concrete contractors in Cleveland in 2023, employing about 718 people between them. Down from 39 in 2018, a 5% decline against 11% growth nationally. That averages 19 people per location. They pay an average of $78,293, 5% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Cleveland for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Detroit (90 miles, about 1,120, $62,830 median), Pittsburgh (115 miles, about 590, $76,940 median) and Columbus (126 miles, about 430, $73,550 median). Detroit has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Cleveland out-pays Detroit and Columbus, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Cleveland 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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