Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Dayton.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Dayton than in most of the country, 34% fewer per job, so the roughly 80 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 6 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 Dayton.
BLS counts about 2,350 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Dayton metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 950). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.66). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Dayton: 80 employed · $66,140 median, 38th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Dayton: 260 employed · $62,580 median, 26th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Dayton: 950 employed · $58,330 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Dayton: 1,220 employed · $80,220 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Dayton: 710 employed · $64,050 median, 41st-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Dayton: 590 employed · $79,020 median, 45th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Dayton: 960 employed · $98,070 median, 105th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Dayton: 230 employed · $37,970 median, 83rd-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Dayton: 120 employed · $66,310 median, 45th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Dayton.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Dayton earn a median $66,140, 6% over the $62,120 national figure, and 38th of 91 metros. Pay runs $39,330 at the tenth percentile to $79,050 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $66,310 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Dayton median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $66,140 | $39,330–$79,050 | $62,120 | +6% | 80 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $62,580 | $43,740–$78,760 | $57,020 | +10% | 260 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $58,330 | $36,710–$76,960 | $60,580 | −4% | 950 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,220 | $59,690–$106,660 | $79,920 | 0% | 1,220 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $64,050 | $47,270–$97,770 | $59,850 | +7% | 710 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $79,020 | $50,520–$124,060 | $78,740 | 0% | 590 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $98,070 | $65,990–$155,190 | $114,990 | −15% | 960 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $37,970 | $37,970–$47,940 | $46,170 | −18% | 230 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $66,310 | $47,780–$97,800 | $64,950 | +2% | 120 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Dayton 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 Dayton's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Dayton lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 7 business locations to 6 (down 14%), behind the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went down 16%, to about 43 people. Average annual pay there went from $44,867 to $60,912 (+36%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Dayton rose from 7 in 2018 to 10 in 2023, up 43%, ahead of the 11% national rise. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 10 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 7 | 6 | −14% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 51 | 43 | −16% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $44,867 | $60,912 | +36% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 7 | 10 | +43% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 153 | – | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $55,624 | – | – |
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
Dayton runs 47% 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 Dayton's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Dayton metro had 10 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 1.2 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.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Dayton ranks 84th for headcount, 25th for median pay and 86th 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 Dayton, 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, Dayton 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, Cleveland and Akron, so candidates licensed there can work in Dayton without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Dayton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cincinnati, about 45 miles away, with roughly 440 brickmasons and blockmasons (5.5 times Dayton's 80). Columbus pays the most nearby, a $73,550 median, 11% above Dayton. That is the number any Dayton offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Indianapolis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | – | 80 | $66,140 |
| Cincinnati | 47 mi | 440 | $70,760 |
| Columbus | 65 mi | 430 | $73,550 |
| Indianapolis | 104 mi | 670 | $72,770 |
| Louisville | 134 mi | 280 | $61,100 |
| Akron | 168 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Dayton crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Dayton in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Salem Avenue Reconstruction, Phase 4UndisclosedLaunched spring 2026
New roadway, sidewalks, street lighting, and concrete-stamped crosswalks from Cornell Drive to Elsmere Avenue.
- Convergence Research Center (Wright-Patterson AFB)$250MGroundbreaking underway; first building potentially complete 2027
A 43.5-acre research campus developed by Synergy under a federal enhanced use lease - a hub for academia, government, and industry collaboration on aerospace and defense research.
- Kettering Health Greene County investment$40M ($25M new medical center + $15M hospital renovation)Groundbreaking April 2026, complete late 2028
A new Xenia medical center plus renovations at Greene Memorial Hospital - healthcare-grade MEP work across two facilities.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Dayton market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Dayton.
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 Dayton.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Dayton?
BLS puts the Dayton median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $66,140 a year, 6% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 38th of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,330 and $79,050, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Ohio, Cleveland pays more, at $78,530.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Dayton?
Yes. Dayton has 34% 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 6 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 7.2 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. There are 14% 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 Dayton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Dayton, a $98,070 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $66,310, 32% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $37,970. Relative to national pay, Concrete Finisher is the strongest-paying role here (10% above). Precast Concrete Technician trails national pay the most (18% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Dayton?
BLS counted 6 nonresidential masonry contractors in Dayton in 2023, employing about 43 people between them. Down from 7 in 2018, a 14% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 7.2 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $60,912, 11% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 10 nonresidential concrete contractors in Dayton in 2023. Up from 7 in 2018, a 43% 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 Dayton for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (47 miles, about 440, $70,760 median), Columbus (65 miles, about 430, $73,550 median) and Indianapolis (104 miles, about 670, $72,770 median). Cincinnati has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Cincinnati pays 7% more, which is where Dayton employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Dayton, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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