Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving New Orleans.
BLS counts 12 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 New Orleans.
BLS counts about 2,830 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the New Orleans metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 1,390). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
New Orleans: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Concrete Finisher
New Orleans: 160 employed · $47,830 median, 83rd-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
New Orleans: 1,390 employed · $50,130 median, 85th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
New Orleans: 2,130 employed · $77,700 median, 63rd-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
New Orleans: 1,150 employed · $58,240 median, 62nd-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
New Orleans: 470 employed · $81,170 median, 30th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
New Orleans: 800 employed · $122,050 median, 30th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
New Orleans: 40 employed · $59,320 median, 3rd-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
New Orleans: 90 employed · $73,990 median, 25th-highest of 111 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Milwaukee, WI too.
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in New Orleans.
BLS publishes no New Orleans pay for brickmasons and blockmasons; nationally the median is $62,120. Cement masons and concrete finishers in New Orleans earn a median $47,830, 16% under the $57,020 national figure, and 83rd of 111 metros. Pay runs $36,610 at the tenth percentile to $77,610 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $73,990 against $64,950 nationally. BLS withholds New Orleans pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | New Orleans median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | – | – | $62,120 | – | – |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $47,830 | $36,610–$77,610 | $57,020 | −16% | 160 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $50,130 | $37,250–$73,040 | $60,580 | −17% | 1,390 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $77,700 | $52,090–$104,160 | $79,920 | −3% | 2,130 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $58,240 | $39,330–$75,400 | $59,850 | −3% | 1,150 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $81,170 | $47,210–$123,180 | $78,740 | +3% | 470 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $122,050 | $72,700–$182,390 | $114,990 | +6% | 800 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $59,320 | $39,520–$76,980 | $46,170 | +28% | 40 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $73,990 | $48,360–$100,810 | $64,950 | +14% | 90 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New Orleans 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 New Orleans's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
New Orleans lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 13 business locations to 12 (down 8%), close to the 6% national change. Headcount at those firms went down 39%, to about 77 people. Average annual pay there went from $36,696 to $49,595 (+35%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. New Orleans lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 30 business locations to 27 (down 10%), behind the 11% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 26%, to about 213 people. Average annual pay there went from $45,856 to $56,341 (+23%), in step with the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 13 | 12 | −8% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 127 | 77 | −39% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $36,696 | $49,595 | +35% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 30 | 27 | −10% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 287 | 213 | −26% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $45,856 | $56,341 | +23% |
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
New Orleans runs 74% 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 New Orleans's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the New Orleans metro had 27 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 213 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $56,341, 24.7% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 19% 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 15.6%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 2.1 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.9 national rate. These firms account for 0.8% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, New Orleans ranks 92nd for headcount, 76th for median pay and 97th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. That makes it one of the thinnest masonry and concrete labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | 250 | $61,250 | 0.47 | 16 |
| New Orleans | 160 | $47,830 | 0.26 | 12 |
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 New Orleans, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, New Orleans metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Louisiana.
Louisiana requires a commercial license for commercial projects of $50,000 or more, including labor and materials, and this applies to subcontractors and specialty trades. Commercial subclassifications include masonry, concrete construction and insulation. The same state rules apply in Baton Rouge, so candidates licensed there can work in New Orleans without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for New Orleans talent.
The closest metro we cover is Baton Rouge, about 75 miles away. BLS does not publish New Orleans figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Pensacola has the largest pool within reach, about 50, at a $50,390 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | – | – | – |
| Baton Rouge | 74 mi | – | – |
| Pensacola | 174 mi | 50 | $50,390 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for New Orleans crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into New Orleans in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Port NOLA Louisiana International Terminal$1.8BMulti-year delivery, dedicated finance team recently staffed
A major new container terminal for the Port of New Orleans. Heavy civil, marine construction, and port-electrical demand at a scale the region's port infrastructure hasn't seen in a generation.
- New Orleans Convention Center investment$557MMulti-year, completing late 2029
Major renovation and expansion of the city's convention infrastructure - conventional large-scale commercial construction distinct from the petrochemical/port economy.
- Shintech petrochemical expansion (Iberville Parish)$3.4BMulti-year
A second ethylene unit and a fourth chlor-alkali/VCM unit at Shintech's existing complex - 163 direct jobs plus an estimated 655 indirect. Shintech is also the Port of New Orleans' top exporter by containerized volume, tying the petrochemical and port economies together directly.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The New Orleans market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in New Orleans.
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 New Orleans.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in New Orleans?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in New Orleans, a $122,050 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $73,990, 39% below it. Concrete Finisher is the lowest-paid field role at $47,830. Relative to national pay, Precast Concrete Technician is the strongest-paying role here (28% above). Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in New Orleans?
BLS counted 12 nonresidential masonry contractors in New Orleans in 2023, employing about 77 people between them. Down from 13 in 2018, an 8% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 6.4 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $49,595, 27% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 27 nonresidential concrete contractors in New Orleans in 2023, employing about 213 people between them. Down from 30 in 2018, a 10% decline against 11% growth nationally. That averages 7.9 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $56,341, 25% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with New Orleans for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Pensacola (174 miles, about 50, $50,390 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
12 nonresidential masonry contractors in New Orleans are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →