Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Durham-Chapel Hill.
BLS counts 4 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 Durham-Chapel Hill.
BLS counts about 1,250 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Durham-Chapel Hill metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 520). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Durham-Chapel Hill: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Finisher
Durham-Chapel Hill: 140 employed · $44,420 median, 107th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Durham-Chapel Hill: 520 employed · $51,540 median, 69th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Durham-Chapel Hill: 1,270 employed · $75,430 median, 84th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Durham-Chapel Hill: 480 employed · $50,820 median, 80th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Durham-Chapel Hill: 360 employed · $80,800 median, 32nd-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Durham-Chapel Hill: 760 employed · $119,980 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Durham-Chapel Hill: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Testing Technician
Durham-Chapel Hill: 110 employed · $57,680 median, 90th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Durham-Chapel Hill.
BLS publishes no Durham-Chapel Hill pay for brickmasons and blockmasons; nationally the median is $62,120. Cement masons and concrete finishers in Durham-Chapel Hill earn a median $44,420, 22% under the $57,020 national figure, and 107th of 111 metros. Pay runs $37,870 at the tenth percentile to $58,010 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $57,680 against $64,950 nationally. BLS withholds Durham-Chapel Hill pay for 2 occupations in the table.
| Role | Durham-Chapel Hill median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | – | – | $62,120 | – | – |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $44,420 | $37,870–$58,010 | $57,020 | −22% | 140 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $51,540 | $39,390–$63,260 | $60,580 | −15% | 520 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $75,430 | $48,690–$101,640 | $79,920 | −6% | 1,270 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $50,820 | $39,690–$71,240 | $59,850 | −15% | 480 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $80,800 | $43,800–$131,400 | $78,740 | +3% | 360 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,980 | $77,550–$200,870 | $114,990 | +4% | 760 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | – | – | $46,170 | – | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $57,680 | $47,680–$92,540 | $64,950 | −11% | 110 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Durham-Chapel Hill 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 Durham-Chapel Hill's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Durham-Chapel Hill lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 6 business locations to 4 (down 33%), behind the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 4 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Durham-Chapel Hill rose from 2 in 2018 to 3 in 2023, up 50%, ahead of the 11% national rise. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 3 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 | 6 | 4 | −33% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 2 | 3 | +50% |
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
Durham-Chapel Hill runs 69% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Durham-Chapel Hill metro had 3 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 0.4 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, Durham-Chapel Hill ranks 95th for headcount, 97th for median pay and 94th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. That makes it one of the thinnest masonry and concrete labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 1,390 | $48,200 | 0.77 | 36 |
| Raleigh | 870 | $47,430 | 0.88 | 22 |
| Greensboro | 440 | $46,030 | 0.90 | 3 |
| Winston-Salem | 210 | $44,680 | 0.58 | 16 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 140 | $44,420 | 0.31 | 4 |
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 Durham-Chapel Hill, 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, Durham-Chapel Hill 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 Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, so candidates licensed there can work in Durham-Chapel Hill without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Durham-Chapel Hill talent.
The closest metro we cover is Raleigh, about 20 miles away, with roughly 290 brickmasons and blockmasons. BLS does not publish Durham-Chapel Hill figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Charlotte has the largest pool within reach, about 760, at a $52,500 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill | – | – | – |
| Raleigh | 21 mi | 290 | $49,920 |
| Greensboro | 50 mi | – | – |
| Winston-Salem | 75 mi | 140 | $47,910 |
| Charlotte | 121 mi | 760 | $52,500 |
| Richmond | 134 mi | 430 | $51,800 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Durham-Chapel Hill crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Durham-Chapel Hill in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AbbVie pharmaceutical manufacturing campus$1.4BConstruction begins 2026, completion by end of 2028
185 acres near Research Triangle Park - small volume parenteral drug manufacturing, next-generation labs, a warehouse, and administrative/wellness facilities. 734 direct jobs over 4 years and 2,000+ construction jobs during buildout.
- Novartis biologics manufacturing investment$771M (across Durham and Wake counties)Multi-year buildout
Two new facilities for biologics manufacturing and sterile packaging, plus an expansion of Novartis' existing Durham facility to add sterile filling of biologics into syringes and vials - about 700 jobs.
- UNC-Chapel Hill Carolina North campus extensionUndisclosedSite prep ahead of a projected summer 2027 groundbreaking
A planned campus extension with initial infrastructure work now underway.
These are the 3 projects we track in Durham-Chapel Hill. The Durham-Chapel Hill market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Durham-Chapel Hill.
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 Durham-Chapel Hill.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Durham-Chapel Hill, a $119,980 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $57,680, 52% below it. Concrete Finisher is the lowest-paid field role at $44,420. Relative to national pay, Project Manager is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Concrete Finisher trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Durham-Chapel Hill?
BLS counted 4 nonresidential masonry contractors in Durham-Chapel Hill in 2023. Down from 6 in 2018, a 33% decline against 6% decline 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. BLS counted 3 nonresidential concrete contractors in Durham-Chapel Hill in 2023. Up from 2 in 2018, a 50% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Raleigh (21 miles, about 290, $49,920 median), Winston-Salem (75 miles, about 140, $47,910 median) and Charlotte (121 miles, about 760, $52,500 median).
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