Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Columbia.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Columbia than in most of the country, 42% fewer per job, so the roughly 80 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 18 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 Columbia.
BLS counts about 2,760 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Columbia metro, the largest group being operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (about 1,120). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.58). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Columbia: 80 employed · $48,590 median, 86th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Columbia: 350 employed · $50,680 median, 63rd-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Columbia: 880 employed · $48,070 median, 100th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Columbia: 1,930 employed · $72,800 median, 99th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Columbia: 1,120 employed · $48,410 median, 99th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Columbia: 490 employed · $65,850 median, 108th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Columbia: 820 employed · $112,180 median, 51st-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Columbia: 50 employed · $44,790 median, 58th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Columbia: 280 employed · $57,640 median, 91st-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Columbia.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Columbia earn a median $48,590, 22% under the $62,120 national figure, and 86th of 91 metros. Pay runs $31,200 at the tenth percentile to $86,050 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $57,640 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Columbia median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $48,590 | $31,200–$86,050 | $62,120 | −22% | 80 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $50,680 | $38,820–$76,730 | $57,020 | −11% | 350 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $48,070 | $36,390–$77,860 | $60,580 | −21% | 880 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $72,800 | $50,720–$101,310 | $79,920 | −9% | 1,930 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $48,410 | $38,150–$62,230 | $59,850 | −19% | 1,120 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $65,850 | $47,070–$107,390 | $78,740 | −16% | 490 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $112,180 | $74,380–$180,570 | $114,990 | −2% | 820 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $44,790 | $36,220–$56,180 | $46,170 | −3% | 50 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $57,640 | $45,750–$80,600 | $64,950 | −11% | 280 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Columbia 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 Columbia's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Columbia had 18 nonresidential masonry contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount at those firms went down 53%, to about 115 people. Average annual pay there went from $29,482 to $51,393 (+74%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Columbia rose from 14 in 2018 to 19 in 2023, up 36%, ahead of the 11% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 18 | 18 | +0% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 244 | 115 | −53% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $29,482 | $51,393 | +74% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 14 | 19 | +36% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | – | 179 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | – | $60,652 | – |
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
Columbia 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 Columbia's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Columbia metro had 19 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 179 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $60,652, 19% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 3.8% 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 2.2 per 100,000 residents against 1.9 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often. These firms account for 1.1% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Columbia ranks 77th for headcount, 58th for median pay and 72nd 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 Columbia, 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, Columbia 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, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, so candidates licensed there can work in Columbia without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Columbia 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 Columbia than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Sign InstallerTwo decades in the sign trade - installation, fabrication and crew leadership in one person.
Nearby markets competing for Columbia talent.
The closest metro we cover is Augusta, about 65 miles away. Charlotte pays the most nearby, a $52,500 median, 8% above Columbia. That is the number any Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | – | 80 | $48,590 |
| Augusta | 65 mi | – | – |
| Charlotte | 85 mi | 760 | $52,500 |
| Greenville | 97 mi | 60 | $49,730 |
| Charleston | 106 mi | 50 | $48,690 |
| Myrtle Beach | 125 mi | 50 | $47,220 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Columbia crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Columbia in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Carolina Crossroads ("Malfunction Junction")$2.7B (Aug 2026 estimate, up from a $1.7B pre-2024 baseline)Phase 3C starting 2026, running through the end of the decade
The largest road construction project in South Carolina history - widening I-20 and replacing bridges between Bush River Road and U.S. 378. Sustained heavy-civil demand for years.
- ōLiv Columbia apartment tower$225M ($232M in permits issued)Under construction
A 26-story tower - the tallest building erected in Columbia in a generation - combining student and non-student housing at 1421 Main Street.
- Nephron Pharmaceuticals expansion$215MAnnounced 2020, targeted Q1 2021 completion - historical, not an active current driver
380,000 sq ft of pharmaceutical manufacturing space - cleanroom-grade electrical and process-mechanical demand. No 2025-2026 phase-two announcement could be independently confirmed; kept as a historical example of the cleanroom-grade specialty this metro has delivered, not a current pipeline project.
These are the 3 projects we track in Columbia. The Columbia market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Columbia.
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 Columbia.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Columbia?
BLS puts the Columbia median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $48,590 a year, 22% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 86th of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. The range is unusually wide: $31,200 at the bottom tenth against $86,050 at the top tenth, a 2.8x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median. No other South Carolina metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Columbia?
Yes. Columbia has 42% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 80 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 18 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 6.4 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Columbia?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Columbia, a $112,180 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $57,640, 49% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $44,790. Bricklayer / Mason trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Columbia?
BLS counted 18 nonresidential masonry contractors in Columbia in 2023, employing about 115 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (18). That averages 6.4 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $51,393, 25% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 19 nonresidential concrete contractors in Columbia in 2023, employing about 179 people between them. Up from 14 in 2018, a 36% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 9.4 people per location. They pay an average of $60,652, 19% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Columbia for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Charlotte (85 miles, about 760, $52,500 median), Greenville (97 miles, about 60, $49,730 median) and Charleston (106 miles, about 50, $48,690 median). Charlotte 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 Columbia employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Columbia, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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