Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Madison.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Madison earn an $82,420 median, 33% above the national figure, and about 150 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 10 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 Madison.
BLS counts about 4,060 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Madison metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 2,320). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.11). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Madison: 150 employed · $82,420 median, 9th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Madison: 570 employed · $65,910 median, 13th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Madison: 2,320 employed · $63,480 median, 27th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Madison: 2,320 employed · $93,290 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Madison: 680 employed · $83,060 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Madison: 720 employed · $73,420 median, 85th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Madison: 860 employed · $119,840 median, 37th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Madison: 40 employed · $49,700 median, 16th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Madison: 300 employed · $76,970 median, 19th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Madison.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Madison earn a median $82,420, 33% over the $62,120 national figure, and 9th of 91 metros. Pay runs $48,650 at the tenth percentile to $100,820 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $83,060 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Madison median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $82,420 | $48,650–$100,820 | $62,120 | +33% | 150 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $65,910 | $50,890–$92,490 | $57,020 | +16% | 570 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $63,480 | $46,670–$92,430 | $60,580 | +5% | 2,320 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $93,290 | $53,750–$128,400 | $79,920 | +17% | 2,320 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $83,060 | $58,830–$102,450 | $59,850 | +39% | 680 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,420 | $55,710–$109,260 | $78,740 | −7% | 720 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,840 | $77,540–$174,130 | $114,990 | +4% | 860 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $49,700 | $37,000–$67,320 | $46,170 | +8% | 40 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $76,970 | $48,150–$98,620 | $64,950 | +19% | 300 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Madison 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 Madison's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Madison lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 11 business locations to 10 (down 9%), behind the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went down 9%, to about 167 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,716 to $71,270 (+35%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. Madison lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 9 business locations to 8 (down 11%), behind the 11% growth nationally. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went up 5%, to about 131 people, so fewer firms are employing more people each. Average annual pay there went from $84,831 to $92,964 (+10%), slower than the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 11 | 10 | −9% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 183 | 167 | −9% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $52,716 | $71,270 | +35% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 9 | 8 | −11% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 125 | 131 | +5% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $84,831 | $92,964 | +10% |
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
Madison runs 5% more masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration.
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 Madison's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Madison metro had 8 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 131 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $92,964, 24.2% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 3.7% over the year even as it grew 5.5% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. The number of these employers fell 20%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 1.2 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. These firms account for 0.7% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Madison ranks 60th for headcount, 12th for median pay and 40th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 930 | $74,730 | 0.86 | 19 |
| Madison | 570 | $65,910 | 1.05 | 10 |
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 Madison, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Madison metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin's contractor credentials from DSPS are the Dwelling Contractor certification and the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, and they apply only to one and two family dwellings, where no building permit may be issued unless the applicant holds the certification or employs a qualifier. There is no Wisconsin state license for commercial masonry or concrete contractors. A Dwelling Contractor credential therefore tells you nothing about a firm's fitness for commercial work. For commercial masonry hiring, verify insurance, bonding and any municipal requirements, and confirm the credential's scope before treating a DSPS number as a qualification. The same state rules apply in Milwaukee, so candidates licensed there can work in Madison without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Dwelling Contractor and Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, one and two family dwellings only. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Madison talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 75 miles away, with roughly 280 brickmasons and blockmasons (1.9 times Madison's 150). Minneapolis pays the most nearby, a $97,960 median, 19% above Madison. That is the number any Madison offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | – | 150 | $82,420 |
| Milwaukee | 76 mi | 280 | $96,010 |
| Chicago | 123 mi | 2,140 | $89,980 |
| Grand Rapids | 189 mi | 340 | $66,080 |
| Minneapolis | 233 mi | 820 | $97,960 |
| Des Moines | 238 mi | 80 | $75,810 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Madison crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Madison in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Epic Systems sixth campus ("Other Worlds")$13.2M water/sewer + $20M road work reimbursements (public infrastructure support)First buildings occupied early 2026
A "Black Hole" parking structure with 2,000+ stalls, three new office buildings, a food services building, and a 5.5-acre underground parking ramp on part of Epic's ~1,700-acre Verona campus.
- UW Health University Hospital addition$177MConcluding late 2026
A six-story addition with 22 emergency department rooms, 22 flexible care beds, 48 inpatient rooms, and a dedicated trauma/life support center.
- UW Health East Madison Hospital addition$133MFinishing end of 2026
A one-story addition adding 6 operating rooms, 14 inpatient beds, and 60 post-surgery care spaces.
These are the 3 projects we track in Madison. The Madison market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Madison.
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 Madison.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Madison?
BLS puts the Madison median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $82,420 a year, 33% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 9th of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $48,650 at the 10th percentile against $100,820 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within Wisconsin, Milwaukee pays more, at $96,010.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Madison?
It is about average. Brickmasons and blockmasons are as common in Madison as they are nationally (location quotient 1.11), with about 150 in the metro. The 10 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 17 employees per location.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Madison?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Madison, a $119,840 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Pump Operator at $83,060, 31% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $49,700. Relative to national pay, Concrete Pump Operator is the strongest-paying role here (39% above). Estimator trails national pay the most (7% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Madison?
BLS counted 10 nonresidential masonry contractors in Madison in 2023, employing about 167 people between them. Down from 11 in 2018, a 9% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $71,270, 4% above the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 8 nonresidential concrete contractors in Madison in 2023, employing about 131 people between them. Down from 9 in 2018, an 11% decline against 11% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay an average of $92,964, 24% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Madison for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (76 miles, about 280, $96,010 median), Chicago (123 miles, about 2,140, $89,980 median) and Grand Rapids (189 miles, about 340, $66,080 median). Milwaukee has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee pays 16% more, which is where Madison employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
10 nonresidential masonry contractors in Madison are drawing on the same 150 brickmasons and blockmasons. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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