Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Knoxville.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in Knoxville than in most of the country, 49% fewer per job, so the roughly 70 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 13 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 Knoxville.
BLS counts about 3,460 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Knoxville metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 1,280). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.51). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Knoxville: 70 employed · $64,090 median, 41st-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Knoxville: 550 employed · $45,970 median, 100th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Knoxville: 1,280 employed · $50,400 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Knoxville: 2,680 employed · $66,830 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Knoxville: 1,210 employed · $48,690 median, 95th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Knoxville: 540 employed · $72,900 median, 91st-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Knoxville: 730 employed · $101,910 median, 92nd-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Knoxville: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Testing Technician
Knoxville: 350 employed · $60,580 median, 76th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Knoxville.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Knoxville earn a median $64,090, 3% over the $62,120 national figure, and 41st of 91 metros. Pay runs $47,130 at the tenth percentile to $80,340 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $60,580 against $64,950 nationally. BLS withholds Knoxville pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Knoxville median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $64,090 | $47,130–$80,340 | $62,120 | +3% | 70 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $45,970 | $34,850–$59,680 | $57,020 | −19% | 550 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $50,400 | $36,600–$70,100 | $60,580 | −17% | 1,280 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $66,830 | $44,810–$104,520 | $79,920 | −16% | 2,680 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $48,690 | $41,790–$78,520 | $59,850 | −19% | 1,210 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $72,900 | $42,760–$115,860 | $78,740 | −7% | 540 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $101,910 | $62,210–$169,550 | $114,990 | −11% | 730 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | – | – | $46,170 | – | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $60,580 | $40,720–$77,920 | $64,950 | −7% | 350 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Knoxville 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 Knoxville's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential masonry contractors in Knoxville rose from 11 in 2018 to 13 in 2023, up 18%, ahead of the 6% national decline. How many people those 13 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 Knoxville rose from 18 in 2018 to 27 in 2023, up 50%, ahead of the 11% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 70%, to about 551 people. Average annual pay there went from $66,503 to $69,750 (+5%), slower than the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 11 | 13 | +18% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 132 | – | – |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $39,376 | – | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 18 | 27 | +50% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 324 | 551 | +70% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $66,503 | $69,750 | +5% |
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
Knoxville sits at about the national rate for masonry and concrete — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Knoxville's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Knoxville metro had 27 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 551 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $69,750, 6.8% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 29% 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 3.6%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 2.9 per 100,000 residents against 1.9 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Knoxville ranks 63rd for headcount, 92nd for median pay and 47th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 1,490 | $48,810 | 1.02 | 34 |
| Knoxville | 550 | $45,970 | 0.98 | 13 |
| Memphis | 510 | $50,030 | 0.63 | 17 |
| Chattanooga | 210 | $45,360 | 0.59 | 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 Knoxville, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Knoxville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee requires a contractor license for projects of $25,000 or more. Masonry subcontractors must be licensed when the masonry portion is $100,000 or more. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Knoxville without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Knoxville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 100 miles away, with roughly 150 brickmasons and blockmasons (2.1 times Knoxville's 70). Chattanooga pays the most nearby, a $69,660 median, 9% above Knoxville. That is the number any Knoxville offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Nashville has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | – | 70 | $64,090 |
| Chattanooga | 101 mi | 150 | $69,660 |
| Greenville | 115 mi | 60 | $49,730 |
| Atlanta | 155 mi | – | $56,600 |
| Nashville | 161 mi | 540 | $66,380 |
| Huntsville | 173 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Knoxville crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Knoxville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- LIS Technologies laser uranium enrichment facility$1.38BAnnounced 2026
A new facility on the historic K-25 uranium enrichment site, expected to create more than 200 jobs. One of the largest single nuclear-industrial capital commitments in the region's history.
- DOE Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (finalist)Undisclosed, federalSite selection ongoing
Tennessee is one of just 5 states selected as a finalist out of 26 applicants for a major Department of Energy nuclear research campus - a signal of the region's growing strategic importance to the nuclear-energy sector.
- Y-12 demolition and cleanup programFederal EM programAlpha-2 completed January 2026; Beta-1 and Old Steam Plant ongoing
DOE completed demolition of the 325,000 sq ft Alpha-2 facility (the largest demolition in Y-12's history, clearing 2.5+ acres) in January 2026, and crews are preparing the 210,000 sq ft Beta-1 facility and the Old Steam Plant for removal. Clears contaminated Manhattan Project/Cold War-era sites for new missions and community reuse.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Knoxville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Knoxville.
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 Knoxville.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Knoxville?
BLS puts the Knoxville median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $64,090 a year, 3% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 41st of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $47,130 and $80,340, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Tennessee, Chattanooga pays more, at $69,660.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Knoxville?
Yes. Knoxville has 49% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 70 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 27 nonresidential concrete contractors here average about 20 employees per location. With 18% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Knoxville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Knoxville, a $101,910 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $64,090, 37% below it. Concrete Finisher is the lowest-paid field role at $45,970. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (3% above). Concrete Finisher trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Knoxville?
BLS counted 13 nonresidential masonry contractors in Knoxville in 2023. Up from 11 in 2018, an 18% increase 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 27 nonresidential concrete contractors in Knoxville in 2023, employing about 551 people between them. Up from 18 in 2018, a 50% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $69,750, 7% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Knoxville for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (101 miles, about 150, $69,660 median), Greenville (115 miles, about 60, $49,730 median) and Atlanta (155 miles, $56,600 median). Chattanooga has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Chattanooga pays 9% more, which is where Knoxville employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Knoxville, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
Schedule a Discovery Call →