Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Milwaukee.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Milwaukee earn a $96,010 median, 55% above the national figure, and about 280 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 19 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 Milwaukee.
BLS counts about 7,040 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Milwaukee metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 3,310). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.99). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Milwaukee: 280 employed · $96,010 median, 4th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Milwaukee: 930 employed · $74,730 median, 9th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Milwaukee: 3,310 employed · $63,910 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Milwaukee: 3,860 employed · $91,760 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Milwaukee: 2,070 employed · $79,430 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Milwaukee: 1,400 employed · $78,090 median, 55th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Milwaukee: 1,680 employed · $119,170 median, 40th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Milwaukee: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Testing Technician
Milwaukee: 450 employed · $76,200 median, 22nd-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Milwaukee.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Milwaukee earn a median $96,010, 55% over the $62,120 national figure, and 4th of 91 metros. Pay runs $49,650 at the tenth percentile to $100,360 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $79,430 against $59,850 nationally. BLS withholds Milwaukee pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Milwaukee median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $96,010 | $49,650–$100,360 | $62,120 | +55% | 280 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $74,730 | $50,440–$96,950 | $57,020 | +31% | 930 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $63,910 | $47,230–$94,180 | $60,580 | +5% | 3,310 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $91,760 | $50,040–$129,780 | $79,920 | +15% | 3,860 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $79,430 | $61,390–$100,860 | $59,850 | +33% | 2,070 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,090 | $53,950–$118,700 | $78,740 | −1% | 1,400 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $119,170 | $77,170–$169,000 | $114,990 | +4% | 1,680 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | – | – | $46,170 | – | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $76,200 | $54,180–$93,150 | $64,950 | +17% | 450 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Milwaukee lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 22 business locations to 19 (down 14%), behind the 6% national decline. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work. Milwaukee lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 12 business locations to 10 (down 17%), behind the 11% growth nationally. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 22 | 19 | −14% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 12 | 10 | −17% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | – | 171 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | – | $72,213 | – |
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
Milwaukee runs 14% fewer masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Milwaukee's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Milwaukee metro had 10 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 171 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $72,213, 3.5% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 8.2% 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 9.1%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 0.6 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, Milwaukee ranks 47th for headcount, 8th for median pay and 58th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| 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 Milwaukee, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Madison, so candidates licensed there can work in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 75 miles away, with roughly 150 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.5 times Milwaukee's 280). Milwaukee pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($96,010 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Detroit at $62,830. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | – | 280 | $96,010 |
| Madison | 76 mi | 150 | $82,420 |
| Chicago | 83 mi | 2,140 | $89,980 |
| Grand Rapids | 113 mi | 340 | $66,080 |
| Indianapolis | 243 mi | 670 | $72,770 |
| Detroit | 252 mi | 1,120 | $62,830 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Milwaukee crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Milwaukee in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- I-94 East-West MilwaukeeMajor state highway program2026 construction season
Heavy civil and paving demand alongside the region's industrial and data-center buildout, competing for the same equipment operators.
- Foxconn Mount Pleasant expansion$569M (part of $1.2B total committed through 2029)Through 2029
Adds to Foxconn's Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, creating 1,374 jobs over four years. Includes a Smart Manufacturing Center and a High-Performance Computing Data Center, with Mortenson selected as construction manager.
- Microsoft Racine County data center$3.3B Phase 1 (operational since April 2026); a $4B second phase and a proposed $13.3B expansion would bring total commitment toward $20B+Phase 1 complete; later phases proposed/announced, not yet built
One of the largest data-center investments in the Midwest, just south of Milwaukee. Massive mechanical and electrical scope for a facility of this scale.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Milwaukee market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Milwaukee.
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 Milwaukee.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Milwaukee?
BLS puts the Milwaukee median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $96,010 a year, 55% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 4th of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $49,650 and $100,360, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Wisconsin metro we cover pays more for this work (Madison: $82,420).
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Milwaukee?
It is about average. Brickmasons and blockmasons are as common in Milwaukee as they are nationally (location quotient 0.99), with about 280 in the metro. The 10 nonresidential concrete contractors here average about 17 employees per location. There are 14% 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 Milwaukee?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Milwaukee, a $119,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $96,010, 19% below it. Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter is the lowest-paid field role at $63,910. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (55% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Milwaukee?
BLS counted 19 nonresidential masonry contractors in Milwaukee in 2023. Down from 22 in 2018, a 14% decline 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 10 nonresidential concrete contractors in Milwaukee in 2023, employing about 171 people between them. Down from 12 in 2018, a 17% decline against 11% growth nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $72,213, 4% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Milwaukee for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (76 miles, about 150, $82,420 median), Chicago (83 miles, about 2,140, $89,980 median) and Grand Rapids (113 miles, about 340, $66,080 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Milwaukee out-pays Madison, Chicago and Grand Rapids, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
19 nonresidential masonry contractors in Milwaukee are drawing on the same 280 brickmasons and blockmasons. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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