Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Minneapolis.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Minneapolis earn a $97,960 median, 58% above the national figure, and about 820 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 46 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 Minneapolis.
BLS counts about 18,910 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Minneapolis metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 10,200). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.24). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Minneapolis: 820 employed · $97,960 median, highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Minneapolis: 1,880 employed · $72,760 median, 10th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Minneapolis: 10,200 employed · $74,060 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Minneapolis: 8,310 employed · $103,290 median, 8th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Minneapolis: 4,270 employed · $83,340 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Minneapolis: 3,100 employed · $82,440 median, 19th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Minneapolis: 3,880 employed · $126,920 median, 21st-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Minneapolis: 520 employed · $45,790 median, 50th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Minneapolis: 1,220 employed · $79,890 median, 14th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Minneapolis.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Minneapolis earn a median $97,960, 58% over the $62,120 national figure, and 1st of 91 metros. Pay runs $71,020 at the tenth percentile to $101,720 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $83,340 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Minneapolis median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $97,960 | $71,020–$101,720 | $62,120 | +58% | 820 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $72,760 | $50,320–$101,190 | $57,020 | +28% | 1,880 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $74,060 | $49,920–$100,830 | $60,580 | +22% | 10,200 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $103,290 | $62,510–$130,160 | $79,920 | +29% | 8,310 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $83,340 | $60,100–$104,250 | $59,850 | +39% | 4,270 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $82,440 | $59,710–$125,460 | $78,740 | +5% | 3,100 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $126,920 | $80,020–$198,490 | $114,990 | +10% | 3,880 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $45,790 | $38,610–$60,500 | $46,170 | −1% | 520 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $79,890 | $62,760–$98,220 | $64,950 | +23% | 1,220 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Minneapolis lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 49 business locations to 46 (down 6%), close to the 6% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 5%, to about 1,687 people, so fewer firms are employing more people each. Average annual pay there went from $77,268 to $94,222 (+22%), in step with the 23% national increase. Minneapolis lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 42 business locations to 32 (down 24%), behind the 11% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 23%, to about 353 people. Average annual pay there went from $73,340 to $89,497 (+22%), slower than the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 49 | 46 | −6% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 1,606 | 1,687 | +5% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $77,268 | $94,222 | +22% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 42 | 32 | −24% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 458 | 353 | −23% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $73,340 | $89,497 | +22% |
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
Minneapolis runs 27% fewer masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Minneapolis's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Minneapolis metro had 32 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 353 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $89,497, 19.5% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 3% 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 5.9%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 0.9 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, Minneapolis ranks 23rd for headcount, 9th for median pay and 66th 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.
What this means for hiring:For masonry and concrete employers in Minneapolis, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Minneapolis metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Minnesota.
Minnesota has no state competency license for commercial masonry or concrete contractors. The residential building contractor license applies to firms contracting directly with owners of residential real estate in more than one special skill, and commercial contractors are exempt from it. Commercial contractors and single-skill specialty contractors instead register with the Department of Labor and Industry under Minn. Stat. 326B.701, and that registration is an administrative filing tied to workers compensation and unemployment insurance rather than a trade examination. Verify the registration is active, but treat it as proof of compliance status rather than proof of masonry competence. The Minneapolis metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry; contractor registration under Minn. Stat. 326B.701, and a residential building contractor license for residential work only. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Asphalt Sales RepresentativeA decade of B2B territory sales in heavy building materials and industrial software.
Nearby markets competing for Minneapolis talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 235 miles away, with roughly 150 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.2 times Minneapolis's 820). Minneapolis pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($97,960 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Omaha at $63,870. Minneapolis is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | – | 820 | $97,960 |
| Madison | 233 mi | 150 | $82,420 |
| Des Moines | 234 mi | 80 | $75,810 |
| Omaha | 291 mi | 220 | $63,870 |
| Milwaukee | 298 mi | 280 | $96,010 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Minneapolis crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Minneapolis in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Allina Health hospital expansion (Abbott Northwestern tower)~$1B (Allina specifically -- no comparable M Health Fairview figure found to support a combined total)Phased through 2030
Major healthcare system expansion. Hospital-grade MEP, medical gas, isolation-room mechanical. High-spec institutional demand.
- Twin Cities data center corridor$3B+ regionalRolling
Cold-climate data center growth (free-cooling advantage). Mechanical PMs with cooling specialty and high-voltage electrical crews in demand.
- Corporate HQ campus & entertainment-district projects$1.5B+Through 2029
Fortune 500 HQ renovations (Target, U.S. Bancorp, Best Buy) plus stadium-district development. Corporate-institutional MEP at scale.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Minneapolis market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Minneapolis.
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 Minneapolis.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Minneapolis?
BLS puts the Minneapolis median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $97,960 a year, 58% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks first of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $71,020 to $101,720 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.4x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Minneapolis?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 24% more of the Minneapolis workforce than they do nationally, about 820 people. The 46 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 37 employees per location, which means a handful of large operators set the pace on pay.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Minneapolis?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Minneapolis, a $126,920 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $97,960, 23% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $45,790. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (58% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Minneapolis?
BLS counted 46 nonresidential masonry contractors in Minneapolis in 2023, employing about 1,687 people between them. Down from 49 in 2018, a 6% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 37 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $94,222, 38% above the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 32 nonresidential concrete contractors in Minneapolis in 2023, employing about 353 people between them. Down from 42 in 2018, a 24% decline against 11% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $89,497, 20% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Minneapolis for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (233 miles, about 150, $82,420 median), Des Moines (234 miles, about 80, $75,810 median) and Omaha (291 miles, about 220, $63,870 median). Minneapolis out-pays Madison, Des Moines and Omaha, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Minneapolis 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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