Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Providence.
Providence has 88% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 450 in the metro. BLS counts 41 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 Providence.
BLS counts about 6,700 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Providence metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 4,140). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.88). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Providence: 450 employed · $86,990 median, 8th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Providence: 390 employed · $63,300 median, 20th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Providence: 4,140 employed · $61,910 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Providence: 3,350 employed · $97,560 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Providence: 1,570 employed · $69,900 median, 33rd-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Providence: 960 employed · $87,720 median, 10th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Providence: 900 employed · $122,830 median, 28th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Providence: $46,480 median, 42nd-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Providence: 150 employed · $63,650 median, 53rd-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Providence.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Providence earn a median $86,990, 40% over the $62,120 national figure, and 8th of 91 metros. Pay runs $51,980 at the tenth percentile to $125,340 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $69,900 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Providence median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $86,990 | $51,980–$125,340 | $62,120 | +40% | 450 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $63,300 | $48,680–$102,490 | $57,020 | +11% | 390 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $61,910 | $47,500–$100,710 | $60,580 | +2% | 4,140 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $97,560 | $61,410–$129,860 | $79,920 | +22% | 3,350 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $69,900 | $52,470–$105,000 | $59,850 | +17% | 1,570 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $87,720 | $58,330–$130,750 | $78,740 | +11% | 960 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $122,830 | $76,680–$190,480 | $114,990 | +7% | 900 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $46,480 | $40,580–$69,540 | $46,170 | +1% | – |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $63,650 | $51,040–$82,770 | $64,950 | −2% | 150 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Providence 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 Providence's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Providence lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 42 business locations to 41 (down 2%), ahead of the 6% national decline. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Providence, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs. Providence lost nonresidential concrete contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 20 business locations to 18 (down 10%), behind the 11% growth nationally. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 42 | 41 | −2% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 20 | 18 | −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
Providence runs 59% 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 Providence's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Providence metro had 18 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. That works out to 1.1 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, Providence ranks 73rd for headcount, 19th for median pay and 92nd for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. That makes it one of the thinnest masonry and concrete labor markets we recruit in.
What this means for hiring:For masonry and concrete employers in Providence, 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, Providence metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island's board, part of the State Building Office, registers general contractors and separately licenses commercial roofers, among other trades. The Providence metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Providence talent.
The closest metro we cover is Worcester, about 35 miles away, with roughly 140 brickmasons and blockmasons (0.3 times Providence's 450). Boston pays the most nearby, a $96,960 median, 11% above Providence. That is the number any Providence offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Boston has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | – | 450 | $86,990 |
| Worcester | 36 mi | 140 | $76,930 |
| Boston | 41 mi | 1,060 | $96,960 |
| Hartford | 66 mi | 270 | $87,520 |
| Bridgeport | 102 mi | – | $58,790 |
| Albany | 133 mi | 80 | $76,890 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Providence crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Providence in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- FY2027 Economic Development Bond (life-sciences share)~$45M life-sciences-specific (of a $115M total bond question; the remaining ~$70M is unrelated Quonset Business Park industrial-pad funding)Proposed - one of five bond questions on the November 2026 ballot, not yet approved by voters
If approved, would fund industrial facilities infrastructure to support life-sciences sector growth - roads, utilities, and site readiness for future lab and manufacturing tenants. Not yet active spending.
- Ocean State Labs life-science incubator$13M investment over 10 yearsOpened May 2026
Rhode Island's first life-science startup incubator, a 30,000 sq ft Brown University-backed facility at 150 Richmond St. Signals a growing pipeline of smaller lab build-outs feeding off the state's larger cleanroom investment.
- Rhode Island Hospital active constructionOngoing2026
Active construction at the Plain Street lot required patient/visitor parking relocation starting May 2026 - the state's largest hospital continuing to build even as the life-sciences sector expands around it.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Providence market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Providence.
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 Providence.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Providence?
BLS puts the Providence median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $86,990 a year, 40% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 8th of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. The range is unusually wide: $51,980 at the bottom tenth against $125,340 at the top tenth, a 2.4x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Providence?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 88% more of the Providence workforce than they do nationally, about 450 people.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Providence?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Providence, a $122,830 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $86,990, 29% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $46,480. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (40% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Providence?
BLS counted 41 nonresidential masonry contractors in Providence in 2023. Down from 42 in 2018, a 2% 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 18 nonresidential concrete contractors in Providence in 2023. Down from 20 in 2018, a 10% decline against 11% growth 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.
Which nearby metros compete with Providence for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Worcester (36 miles, about 140, $76,930 median), Boston (41 miles, about 1,060, $96,960 median) and Hartford (66 miles, about 270, $87,520 median). Boston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Boston pays 11% more, which is where Providence employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Providence 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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