Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Houston.
At a $56,410 median, brickmasons and blockmasons in Houston earn 9% less than nationally; about 1,090 work in the metro. BLS counts 72 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 Houston.
BLS counts about 34,120 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Houston metro, the largest group being operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (about 14,000). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.98). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Houston: 1,090 employed · $56,410 median, 70th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Houston: 7,700 employed · $46,600 median, 94th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Houston: 9,600 employed · $49,670 median, 90th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Houston: 24,570 employed · $76,020 median, 80th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Houston: 14,000 employed · $51,040 median, 75th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Houston: 5,660 employed · $78,200 median, 53rd-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Houston: 16,500 employed · $103,530 median, 81st-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Houston: 490 employed · $37,510 median, 84th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Houston: 1,240 employed · $62,040 median, 67th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Houston.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Houston earn a median $56,410, 9% under the $62,120 national figure, and 70th of 91 metros. Pay runs $45,550 at the tenth percentile to $59,090 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $62,040 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Houston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $56,410 | $45,550–$59,090 | $62,120 | −9% | 1,090 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $46,600 | $36,310–$62,320 | $57,020 | −18% | 7,700 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $49,670 | $39,470–$68,500 | $60,580 | −18% | 9,600 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $76,020 | $48,170–$119,090 | $79,920 | −5% | 24,570 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $51,040 | $39,170–$71,960 | $59,850 | −15% | 14,000 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,200 | $44,800–$132,450 | $78,740 | −1% | 5,660 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,530 | $68,500–$170,590 | $114,990 | −10% | 16,500 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $37,510 | $28,910–$53,020 | $46,170 | −19% | 490 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $62,040 | $42,840–$101,980 | $64,950 | −4% | 1,240 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Houston 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 Houston's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Houston lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 81 business locations to 72 (down 11%), behind the 6% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 21%, to about 1,640 people. Average annual pay there went from $53,442 to $60,975 (+14%), slower than the 23% national increase. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Houston rose from 129 in 2018 to 152 in 2023, up 18%, ahead of the 11% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 29%, to about 7,540 people. Average annual pay there went from $55,489 to $69,321 (+25%), in step with the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 81 | 72 | −11% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 2,089 | 1,640 | −21% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $53,442 | $60,975 | +14% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 129 | 152 | +18% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 5,829 | 7,540 | +29% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $55,489 | $69,321 | +25% |
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
Houston runs 76% more masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Houston's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Houston metro had 152 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 7,540 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $69,321, 7.4% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 8.5% over the year, faster than the 5.5% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. That works out to 2.0 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.9 national rate. These firms account for 3.3% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Houston ranks 4th for headcount, 86th for median pay and 13th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 7,920 | $48,770 | 1.48 | 98 |
| Houston | 7,700 | $46,600 | 1.76 | 72 |
| Austin | 2,650 | $49,410 | 1.54 | 36 |
| San Antonio | 1,960 | $47,010 | 1.32 | 29 |
| El Paso | 570 | $41,940 | 1.26 | 4 |
| McAllen | 390 | $38,620 | 1.00 | 2 |
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 Houston, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Houston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Texas.
Texas has no state general contractor license and no masonry or concrete contractor license. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's list of regulated programs includes air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, electricians and water well drillers, but nothing covering general building, masonry or concrete work. Masonry and concrete firms are therefore regulated only through local permitting and any registration a particular city requires, so the check belongs with the building department for the city where the project sits. When hiring, focus on insurance, bonding, workers compensation status and documented project history rather than a state license number, because none exists. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Houston without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state contractor license; regulated locally through city and county building departments. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Houston 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 Houston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianFive to ten years of commercial HVAC experience, EPA 608, and independent troubleshooting - filled in two weeks.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianA lead technician who can also train the rest of the bench.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianThe second of two technician seats on the same requisition, filled in the same window as the first.
Nearby markets competing for Houston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Austin, about 145 miles away, with roughly 370 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.3 times Houston's 1,090). Austin pays the most nearby, a $60,270 median, 7% above Houston. That is the number any Houston offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | – | 1,090 | $56,410 |
| Austin | 147 mi | 370 | $60,270 |
| San Antonio | 190 mi | 400 | $56,580 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 225 mi | 1,590 | $59,400 |
| Baton Rouge | 254 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Houston crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Houston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Port Houston Bayport Container Terminal expansion$1B+2024-2027
Heavy civil, paving, large-scale mechanical. Crane operators and heavy electricians in tight supply.
- I-45 North reconstruction (NHHIP)$9.7BMulti-decade rolling
Largest infrastructure project in TxDOT history. Paving, structural, traffic systems work over a 15+ year horizon.
- IAH Terminal D West expansion$1.46BThrough 2027
Airport-grade MEP, large-scale AHU installs, baggage system mechanical work.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Houston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Houston.
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 Houston.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Houston?
BLS puts the Houston median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $56,410 a year, 9% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 70th of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $45,550 to $59,090 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.3x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $60,270.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Houston?
It is about average. Brickmasons and blockmasons are as common in Houston as they are nationally (location quotient 0.98), with about 1,090 in the metro. The 72 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 23 employees per location. There are 11% 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 Houston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Houston, a $103,530 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $62,040, 40% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $37,510. Precast Concrete Technician trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Houston?
BLS counted 72 nonresidential masonry contractors in Houston in 2023, employing about 1,640 people between them. Down from 81 in 2018, a 11% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 23 people per location. They pay an average of $60,975, 11% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 152 nonresidential concrete contractors in Houston in 2023, employing about 7,540 people between them. Up from 129 in 2018, a 18% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 50 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $69,321, 7% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Houston for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (147 miles, about 370, $60,270 median), San Antonio (190 miles, about 400, $56,580 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (225 miles, about 1,590, $59,400 median). Austin pays 7% more, which is where Houston employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
72 nonresidential masonry contractors in Houston are drawing on the same 1,090 brickmasons and blockmasons. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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