Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Rochester.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Rochester earn a $73,860 median, 19% above the national figure, and about 180 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 24 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 Rochester.
BLS counts about 3,900 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Rochester metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 2,350). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.09). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Rochester: 180 employed · $73,860 median, 27th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Rochester: 290 employed · $62,370 median, 27th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Rochester: 2,350 employed · $59,490 median, 51st-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Rochester: 2,080 employed · $81,380 median, 40th-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Rochester: 910 employed · $65,720 median, 37th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Rochester: 770 employed · $78,890 median, 47th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Rochester: 490 employed · $134,940 median, 8th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Rochester: 50 employed · $50,740 median, 11th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Rochester: 120 employed · $69,210 median, 33rd-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Rochester.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Rochester earn a median $73,860, 19% over the $62,120 national figure, and 27th of 91 metros. Pay runs $50,440 at the tenth percentile to $94,350 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $69,210 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Rochester median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $73,860 | $50,440–$94,350 | $62,120 | +19% | 180 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $62,370 | $47,600–$78,010 | $57,020 | +9% | 290 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $59,490 | $44,360–$82,670 | $60,580 | −2% | 2,350 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $81,380 | $59,560–$123,430 | $79,920 | +2% | 2,080 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $65,720 | $46,800–$112,740 | $59,850 | +10% | 910 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,890 | $50,750–$126,240 | $78,740 | 0% | 770 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $134,940 | $88,050–$216,390 | $114,990 | +17% | 490 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $50,740 | $36,630–$63,140 | $46,170 | +10% | 50 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $69,210 | $46,330–$89,200 | $64,950 | +7% | 120 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Rochester 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 Rochester's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential masonry contractors in Rochester rose from 17 in 2018 to 24 in 2023, up 41%, ahead of the 6% national decline. Headcount at those firms went up 7%, to about 246 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,797 to $67,734 (+28%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. Rochester had 4 nonresidential concrete contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 4 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 17 | 24 | +41% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 229 | 246 | +7% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $52,797 | $67,734 | +28% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 4 | 4 | +0% |
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
Rochester runs 56% 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 Rochester's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Rochester metro had 4 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 0.4 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, Rochester ranks 82nd for headcount, 26th for median pay and 90th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 8,390 | $65,670 | 0.67 | 328 |
| Buffalo | 470 | $62,640 | 0.66 | 23 |
| Albany | 330 | $62,980 | 0.56 | 17 |
| Rochester | 290 | $62,370 | 0.44 | 24 |
| Syracuse | 220 | $61,550 | 0.55 | 24 |
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 Rochester, 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, Rochester metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in New York.
New York State does not license general, masonry or concrete contractors; the Department of State Division of Licensing Services covers real estate, notaries, security guards and appearance trades, with no construction contracting category. New York City licensing runs through the Department of Buildings, which issues a General Contractor Registration along with roughly two dozen other credentials. There is no New York City masonry license, though concrete work touches two Department of Buildings credentials, the Concrete Safety Manager and the Concrete Testing Laboratory approval. Outside New York City, check the county or municipal consumer affairs or building department, since requirements vary by jurisdiction. The same state rules apply in New York, Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse, so candidates licensed there can work in Rochester without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state contractor license; regulated locally, for example the New York City Department of Buildings. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Rochester talent.
The closest metro we cover is Buffalo, about 65 miles away, with roughly 290 brickmasons and blockmasons (1.6 times Rochester's 180). Albany pays the most nearby, a $76,890 median, 4% above Rochester. That is the number any Rochester offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Buffalo has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | – | 180 | $73,860 |
| Buffalo | 66 mi | 290 | $76,800 |
| Syracuse | 74 mi | 180 | $73,880 |
| Scranton | 157 mi | – | – |
| Albany | 198 mi | 80 | $76,890 |
| Harrisburg | 203 mi | 80 | $72,730 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Rochester crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Rochester in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AIM Photonics volume manufacturing lineUndisclosedTransitioning to low-volume silicon photonics production in 2026
Expected to create 150-200 high-skill manufacturing positions as the facility, which reached full Testing/Assembly/Packaging operations in 2023, ramps toward production volume.
- QED Technologies expansion$18.7MRibbon-cut August 5, 2026
Added up to 20,000 sq ft to the University Avenue facility for a new R&D center and expanded precision optics fabrication capacity.
- Sydor Optics manufacturing expansion$32M+New 100,000 sq ft facility, up to 36 new jobs
A new photonics manufacturing facility to accommodate continued growth - one of the largest single optics-manufacturing capital projects in the region's history.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Rochester market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Rochester.
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 Rochester.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Rochester?
BLS puts the Rochester median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $73,860 a year, 19% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 27th of 91 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $50,440 and $94,350, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within New York, New York pays more, at $92,300.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Rochester?
It is about average. Brickmasons and blockmasons are as common in Rochester as they are nationally (location quotient 1.09), with about 180 in the metro. The 24 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 10 employees per location. With 41% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Rochester?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Rochester, a $134,940 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $73,860, 45% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $50,740. Relative to national pay, Bricklayer / Mason is the strongest-paying role here (19% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Rochester?
BLS counted 24 nonresidential masonry contractors in Rochester in 2023, employing about 246 people between them. Up from 17 in 2018, a 41% increase against 6% decline nationally. That averages 10 people per location. They pay about the national average of $68,219. BLS counted 4 nonresidential concrete contractors in Rochester in 2023. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (4). 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 Rochester for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Buffalo (66 miles, about 290, $76,800 median), Syracuse (74 miles, about 180, $73,880 median) and Albany (198 miles, about 80, $76,890 median). Buffalo has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
24 nonresidential masonry contractors in Rochester are drawing on the same 180 brickmasons and blockmasons. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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