Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Kansas City.
Kansas City has 35% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 500 in the metro. BLS counts 41 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 Kansas City.
BLS counts about 13,200 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Kansas City metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 4,540). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.35). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Kansas City: 500 employed · $72,370 median, 32nd-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Kansas City: 2,950 employed · $62,250 median, 29th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Kansas City: 4,540 employed · $61,810 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Kansas City: 5,860 employed · $84,100 median, 27th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Kansas City: 4,110 employed · $64,060 median, 40th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Kansas City: 2,290 employed · $78,940 median, 46th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Kansas City: 2,180 employed · $121,790 median, 31st-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Kansas City: 370 employed · $50,370 median, 12th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Kansas City: 730 employed · $63,460 median, 57th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Kansas City.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Kansas City earn a median $72,370, 17% over the $62,120 national figure, and 32nd of 91 metros. Pay runs $48,020 at the tenth percentile to $88,070 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $64,060 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Kansas City median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $72,370 | $48,020–$88,070 | $62,120 | +17% | 500 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $62,250 | $45,680–$87,230 | $57,020 | +9% | 2,950 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $61,810 | $44,950–$96,410 | $60,580 | +2% | 4,540 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $84,100 | $58,670–$122,280 | $79,920 | +5% | 5,860 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $64,060 | $47,250–$96,840 | $59,850 | +7% | 4,110 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,940 | $47,660–$130,360 | $78,740 | 0% | 2,290 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $121,790 | $80,090–$173,800 | $114,990 | +6% | 2,180 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $50,370 | $41,960–$66,560 | $46,170 | +9% | 370 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $63,460 | $47,740–$94,650 | $64,950 | −2% | 730 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kansas City 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 Kansas City's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Kansas City lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 46 business locations to 41 (down 11%), behind the 6% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 15%, to about 543 people. Average annual pay there went from $57,525 to $65,842 (+14%), slower than the 23% national increase. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Kansas City rose from 45 in 2018 to 50 in 2023, up 11%, close to the 11% national change.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 46 | 41 | −11% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 642 | 543 | −15% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $57,525 | $65,842 | +14% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 45 | 50 | +11% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | – | 951 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | – | $81,165 | – |
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
Kansas City runs 103% 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 Kansas City's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Kansas City metro had 50 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 951 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $81,165, 8.4% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 10.3% over the year, faster than the 5.5% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. The number of these employers fell 5.7%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. 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 1.6% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Kansas City ranks 9th for headcount, 28th for median pay and 9th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. That puts it among the deepest masonry and concrete labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 2,950 | $62,250 | 2.03 | 41 |
| St. Louis | 2,550 | $64,670 | 1.44 | 60 |
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 Kansas City, 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, Kansas City metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Missouri.
Missouri has no state general, masonry or concrete contractor license, and the Division of Professional Registration regulates electrical contractors but no building trades. Kansas City licenses contractors in categories covering demolition, electrical, elevator, fire protection, gas fired appliances, mechanical, operating engineers, plumbing, residential building and signs, and masonry and concrete are not among them. In St. Louis, a construction contracting business needs a graduated business license from the Office of the License Collector, which carries no trade competency examination. For masonry hiring in Missouri, check the city business license, insurance and bonding rather than a trade license. The same state rules apply in St. Louis, so candidates licensed there can work in Kansas City without re-qualifying. The Kansas City metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: No state contractor license; regulated locally, for example the Kansas City Planning and Development Department Permits Division and the St. Louis Office of the License Collector. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Kansas City 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 Kansas City than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianA technician who has run his own HVAC business - customer instincts on top of the wrench work.
Nearby markets competing for Kansas City talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 165 miles away, with roughly 220 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.4 times Kansas City's 500). St. Louis pays the most nearby, a $77,490 median, 7% above Kansas City. That is the number any Kansas City offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. St. Louis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | – | 500 | $72,370 |
| Omaha | 165 mi | 220 | $63,870 |
| Wichita | 178 mi | – | – |
| Des Moines | 180 mi | 80 | $75,810 |
| Tulsa | 218 mi | 190 | $58,080 |
| St. Louis | 238 mi | 1,070 | $77,490 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Kansas City crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Kansas City in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- De Soto data center campus$3.1BUnder construction
A hyperscale campus adjacent to the Panasonic plant off 103rd Street and Edgerton Road near K-10. Power-systems electricians, mission-critical mechanical, and controls technicians - the same profiles the battery plant needs, competing head to head.
- Panasonic Energy battery plant, De Soto, KS~$4B facilityOpened 2025; second wing in operation 2027
Now employing roughly 1,800 with four production lines running. Construction has begun on a second wing, and in June 2026 the plant announced a shift toward producing battery cells for data centers, with first cells anticipated 2028-2029. Sustained industrial mechanical, process piping, and controls demand - not a one-and-done build.
- Domed stadium program, KansasMulti-billion, agreement announced December 2025Design and preconstruction
A large-venue program on the Kansas side. Still early, but it will draw large-venue superintendents and specialty systems crews into a market that does not carry deep bench strength in that profile.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Kansas City market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Kansas City.
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 Kansas City.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Kansas City?
BLS puts the Kansas City median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $72,370 a year, 17% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 32nd of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $48,020 and $88,070, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Missouri, St. Louis pays more, at $77,490.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Kansas City?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 35% more of the Kansas City workforce than they do nationally, about 500 people. The 41 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 13 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 Kansas City?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Kansas City, a $121,790 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $72,370, 41% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $50,370. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (17% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Kansas City?
BLS counted 41 nonresidential masonry contractors in Kansas City in 2023, employing about 543 people between them. Down from 46 in 2018, an 11% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 13 people per location. They pay an average of $65,842, 3% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 50 nonresidential concrete contractors in Kansas City in 2023, employing about 951 people between them. Up from 45 in 2018, an 11% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 19 people per location. They pay an average of $81,165, 8% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Kansas City for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Omaha (165 miles, about 220, $63,870 median), Des Moines (180 miles, about 80, $75,810 median) and Tulsa (218 miles, about 190, $58,080 median). Kansas City out-pays Omaha and Tulsa, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Kansas City has one of the deeper pools of brickmasons and blockmasons we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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