Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Harrisburg.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Harrisburg than in most of the country, 32% fewer per job, so the roughly 80 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 7 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 Harrisburg.
BLS counts about 2,360 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Harrisburg metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 1,320). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.68). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Harrisburg: 80 employed · $72,730 median, 31st-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Harrisburg: 120 employed · $60,590 median, 39th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Harrisburg: 1,320 employed · $57,690 median, 57th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Harrisburg: 1,320 employed · $86,090 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Harrisburg: 670 employed · $58,420 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Harrisburg: 470 employed · $78,060 median, 56th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Harrisburg: 350 employed · $106,720 median, 67th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Harrisburg: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Testing Technician
Harrisburg: 170 employed · $68,600 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Harrisburg.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Harrisburg earn a median $72,730, 17% over the $62,120 national figure, and 31st of 91 metros. Pay runs $47,740 at the tenth percentile to $102,140 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $68,600 against $64,950 nationally. BLS withholds Harrisburg pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Harrisburg median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $72,730 | $47,740–$102,140 | $62,120 | +17% | 80 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $60,590 | $45,570–$85,070 | $57,020 | +6% | 120 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $57,690 | $40,940–$84,410 | $60,580 | −5% | 1,320 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $86,090 | $60,000–$127,400 | $79,920 | +8% | 1,320 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $58,420 | $46,780–$90,500 | $59,850 | −2% | 670 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,060 | $48,390–$126,940 | $78,740 | −1% | 470 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $106,720 | $78,130–$165,030 | $114,990 | −7% | 350 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | – | – | $46,170 | – | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $68,600 | $48,780–$93,990 | $64,950 | +6% | 170 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Harrisburg lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 8 business locations to 7 (down 12%), behind the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Harrisburg lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 4 business locations to 3 (down 25%), behind the 11% growth nationally. 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 | 8 | 7 | −12% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | – | 169 | – |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | – | $61,333 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 4 | 3 | −25% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 14 | – | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $86,577 | – | – |
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
Harrisburg runs 72% 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 Harrisburg's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Harrisburg 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 0.5 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, Harrisburg ranks 98th for headcount, 37th for median pay and 95th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 1,870 | $60,900 | 0.49 | 121 |
| Pittsburgh | 1,500 | $63,310 | 1.02 | 39 |
| Lancaster | 470 | $59,800 | 1.39 | 15 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 220 | $62,970 | 0.43 | 7 |
| Scranton | 140 | $58,000 | 0.40 | 5 |
| Harrisburg | 120 | $60,590 | 0.28 | 7 |
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 Harrisburg, 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, Harrisburg metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Labor and Industry states directly that the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors, which includes masonry and concrete. The only statewide registration is Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Attorney General, and that is a residential consumer protection registration requiring insurance and compliant contracts, not a trade competency license. Some of Pennsylvania's roughly 2,562 municipalities impose their own contractor licensing or registration, and the Commonwealth keeps no record of those, so the local municipality must be contacted directly. For commercial masonry hiring, verify insurance, bonding and any municipal registration for the job location. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem, Lancaster and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Harrisburg without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state contractor license; Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is residential consumer protection only, and some municipalities impose their own requirements. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial Construction EstimatorCost management on projects up to $150 million, brought onto a retail and medical bid calendar.
- Project ManagerNot a fit for the first role we put him forward for - exactly right for the next one.
Nearby markets competing for Harrisburg talent.
The closest metro we cover is Lancaster, about 35 miles away, with roughly 350 brickmasons and blockmasons (4.4 times Harrisburg's 80). Philadelphia pays the most nearby, a $75,970 median, 4% above Harrisburg. That is the number any Harrisburg offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Washington, D.C. has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg | – | 80 | $72,730 |
| Lancaster | 35 mi | 350 | $63,430 |
| Baltimore | 70 mi | 580 | $58,000 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 77 mi | 100 | $62,400 |
| Philadelphia | 94 mi | 1,210 | $75,970 |
| Washington, D.C. | 96 mi | 1,910 | $60,670 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Harrisburg crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Harrisburg in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Pennsylvania Digital I ("PAX-1") data center campus$15B total (the $3B construction / $1.5B power / $750M cooling-security cost breakdown is not independently sourced beyond the $15B headline)~5-year buildout
700 acres in Middlesex Township with three campuses of 5-6 buildings each, each with its own dedicated 450MW substation (1.35GW total power capacity, scalable to 1.8GW) - the largest capital project in Cumberland County's history, projected to generate ~$45M/year in local school-district tax revenue alone.
- Whirlpool New Kingstown distribution centerUndisclosed (1.1M sq ft)Under construction
A 300,000+ sq ft expansion over Whirlpool's existing regional distribution facility.
- Governor Shapiro's RACP investment$109.3M2026
Funding across 68 projects in Southcentral Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.
These are the 3 projects we track in Harrisburg. The Harrisburg market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Harrisburg.
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 Harrisburg.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Harrisburg?
BLS puts the Harrisburg median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $72,730 a year, 17% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 31st of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $47,740 at the 10th percentile against $102,140 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh pays more, at $76,940.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Harrisburg?
Yes. Harrisburg has 32% 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 7 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 24 employees per location. There are 12% 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 Harrisburg?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Harrisburg, a $106,720 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $72,730, 32% below it. Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter is the lowest-paid field role at $57,690. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (17% above). Project Manager trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Harrisburg?
BLS counted 7 nonresidential masonry contractors in Harrisburg in 2023, employing about 169 people between them. Down from 8 in 2018, a 12% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 24 people per location. They pay an average of $61,333, 10% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 3 nonresidential concrete contractors in Harrisburg in 2023. Down from 4 in 2018, a 25% decline 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 Harrisburg for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Lancaster (35 miles, about 350, $63,430 median), Baltimore (70 miles, about 580, $58,000 median) and Allentown-Bethlehem (77 miles, about 100, $62,400 median). Lancaster has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Harrisburg out-pays Lancaster, Baltimore and Allentown-Bethlehem, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Harrisburg, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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