Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving San Jose.
Brickmasons and blockmasons are scarcer in San Jose than in most of the country, 53% fewer per job, so the roughly 180 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 8 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 San Jose.
BLS counts about 8,050 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the San Jose metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 4,460). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.47). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
San Jose: 180 employed · $75,930 median, 21st-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
San Jose: 1,500 employed · $75,520 median, 6th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
San Jose: 4,460 employed · $80,190 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
San Jose: 4,770 employed · $129,700 median, highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
San Jose: 1,360 employed · $124,340 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
San Jose: 1,680 employed · $97,580 median, 3rd-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
San Jose: 1,850 employed · $163,040 median, 2nd-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
San Jose: 130 employed · $60,130 median, highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
San Jose: 420 employed · $98,020 median, highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in San Jose.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in San Jose earn a median $75,930, 22% over the $62,120 national figure, and 21st of 91 metros. Pay runs $50,270 at the tenth percentile to $128,540 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $124,340 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | San Jose median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $75,930 | $50,270–$128,540 | $62,120 | +22% | 180 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $75,520 | $50,010–$118,950 | $57,020 | +32% | 1,500 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $80,190 | $55,210–$133,860 | $60,580 | +32% | 4,460 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $129,700 | $76,800–$196,070 | $79,920 | +62% | 4,770 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $124,340 | $60,680–$152,760 | $59,850 | +108% | 1,360 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $97,580 | $61,550–$170,550 | $78,740 | +24% | 1,680 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $163,040 | $97,900–$249,990 | $114,990 | +42% | 1,850 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $60,130 | $47,240–$85,690 | $46,170 | +30% | 130 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $98,020 | $67,410–$134,330 | $64,950 | +51% | 420 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Jose 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 San Jose's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential masonry contractors in San Jose rose from 7 in 2018 to 8 in 2023, up 14%, ahead of the 6% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in San Jose rose from 24 in 2018 to 30 in 2023, up 25%, ahead of the 11% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 30%, to about 1,461 people. Average annual pay there went from $87,431 to $124,247 (+42%), faster than the 25% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 7 | 8 | +14% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | – | 250 | – |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | – | $64,201 | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 24 | 30 | +25% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 1,127 | 1,461 | +30% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $87,431 | $124,247 | +42% |
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
San Jose sits at about the national rate for masonry and concrete — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 San Jose's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the San Jose metro had 30 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 1,461 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $124,247, 66% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 9.8% 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. That works out to 1.5 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. These firms account for 2.7% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Jose ranks 28th for headcount, 5th for median pay and 44th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 7,810 | $63,790 | 0.94 | 65 |
| Riverside | 4,740 | $59,550 | 2.08 | 38 |
| Sacramento | 2,580 | $60,240 | 1.80 | 17 |
| San Francisco | 2,420 | $75,970 | 0.77 | 18 |
| San Diego | 2,330 | $66,530 | 1.14 | 19 |
| San Jose | 1,500 | $75,520 | 1.00 | 8 |
| Fresno | 980 | $57,620 | 1.54 | 8 |
| Stockton | 640 | $56,980 | 1.66 | 7 |
| Bakersfield | 600 | $58,670 | 1.35 | 3 |
| Modesto | 350 | $76,500 | 1.33 | 3 |
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 San Jose, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Jose metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in California.
California licenses specialty contractors by classification, including C-2 Insulation and Acoustical, C-8 Concrete and C-29 Masonry. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in San Jose without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for San Jose talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Francisco, about 40 miles away, with roughly 340 brickmasons and blockmasons (1.9 times San Jose's 180). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $69,050 in Fresno to $77,350 in San Francisco, against $75,930 here. San Francisco has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | – | 180 | $75,930 |
| San Francisco | 42 mi | 340 | $77,350 |
| Modesto | 53 mi | – | – |
| Stockton | 54 mi | 150 | $75,490 |
| Sacramento | 89 mi | 340 | $73,810 |
| Fresno | 124 mi | 170 | $69,050 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for San Jose crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into San Jose in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Prologis STEM Park (North San Jose)~$25B, 396MW data center + manufacturing campusApproved Nov 2025
Prologis - traditionally a logistics/industrial developer - was selected by San Jose's city council to build a 159-acre data center and advanced manufacturing campus on city-owned land near Zanker Road and Highway 237. Evidence the AI-driven data-center boom is pulling in developers beyond the traditional tech giants.
- PG&E data-center pipeline - San Jose1,630 MW requested across 11 projectsRolling, multi-year
San Jose is positioning itself as the Bay Area's data-center capital, driven by AI infrastructure demand. Eleven separate projects have requested a combined 1,630 megawatts of capacity from PG&E - more than three times the number of housing units in the city, a signal of the sheer scale of mechanical and electrical buildout underway.
These are the 2 projects we track in San Jose. The San Jose market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in San Jose.
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 San Jose.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in San Jose?
BLS puts the San Jose median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $75,930 a year, 22% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 21st of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. The range is unusually wide: $50,270 at the bottom tenth against $128,540 at the top tenth, a 2.6x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median. No other California metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in San Jose?
Yes. San Jose has 53% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 180 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 8 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 31 employees per location, which means a handful of large operators set the pace on pay. With 14% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in San Jose?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in San Jose, a $163,040 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Pump Operator at $124,340, 24% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $60,130. Relative to national pay, Concrete Pump Operator is the strongest-paying role here (108% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in San Jose?
BLS counted 8 nonresidential masonry contractors in San Jose in 2023, employing about 250 people between them. Up from 7 in 2018, a 14% increase against 6% decline nationally. That averages 31 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $64,201, 6% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 30 nonresidential concrete contractors in San Jose in 2023, employing about 1,461 people between them. Up from 24 in 2018, a 25% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 49 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $124,247, 66% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Jose for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Francisco (42 miles, about 340, $77,350 median), Stockton (54 miles, about 150, $75,490 median) and Sacramento (89 miles, about 340, $73,810 median). San Francisco has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in San Jose, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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