Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Seattle.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Seattle earn a $97,830 median, 57% above the national figure, and about 310 of them work in the metro. BLS counts 31 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 Seattle.
BLS counts about 23,800 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Seattle metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 14,970). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.45). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Seattle: 310 employed · $97,830 median, 2nd-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Seattle: 2,140 employed · $80,860 median, 3rd-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Seattle: 14,970 employed · $76,410 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Seattle: 11,040 employed · $121,130 median, 2nd-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Seattle: 4,860 employed · $95,750 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Seattle: 4,340 employed · $94,490 median, 5th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Seattle: 4,010 employed · $159,430 median, 3rd-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Seattle: 660 employed · $56,770 median, 5th-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Seattle: 860 employed · $84,660 median, 7th-highest of 111 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Winston-Salem, NC too.
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Seattle.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Seattle earn a median $97,830, 57% over the $62,120 national figure, and 2nd of 91 metros. Pay runs $59,580 at the tenth percentile to $115,460 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at $95,750 against $59,850 nationally.
| Role | Seattle median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $97,830 | $59,580–$115,460 | $62,120 | +57% | 310 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $80,860 | $56,890–$132,630 | $57,020 | +42% | 2,140 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $76,410 | $58,090–$123,750 | $60,580 | +26% | 14,970 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $121,130 | $77,980–$170,810 | $79,920 | +52% | 11,040 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $95,750 | $59,830–$128,420 | $59,850 | +60% | 4,860 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $94,490 | $62,020–$152,220 | $78,740 | +20% | 4,340 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $159,430 | $109,800–$221,370 | $114,990 | +39% | 4,010 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $56,770 | $48,580–$70,900 | $46,170 | +23% | 660 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $84,660 | $60,410–$118,630 | $64,950 | +30% | 860 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Seattle 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 Seattle's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
Seattle had 31 nonresidential masonry contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. Headcount at those firms went up 15%, to about 680 people. Average annual pay there went from $69,934 to $89,438 (+28%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Seattle rose from 50 in 2018 to 53 in 2023, up 6%, behind the 11% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 1,731. Average annual pay there went from $73,376 to $90,381 (+23%), in step with the 25% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations | 31 | 31 | +0% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 591 | 680 | +15% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $69,934 | $89,438 | +28% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 50 | 53 | +6% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 1,759 | 1,731 | −2% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $73,376 | $90,381 | +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
Seattle runs 22% fewer masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — 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 Seattle's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Seattle metro had 53 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 1,731 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $90,381, 20.7% above the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 7.2% 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 3.6%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 1.3 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 1.4% of all construction employment in the metro.
Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Seattle ranks 20th for headcount, 2nd for median pay and 60th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 2,140 | $80,860 | 0.78 | 31 |
| Spokane | 400 | $75,210 | 1.19 | 10 |
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 Seattle, 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, Seattle metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in Washington.
Washington requires all construction contractors to register with the state as either a general contractor or a specialty contractor, with 63 specialty categories. This is a registration, not a competency-based license. The same state rules apply in Spokane, so candidates licensed there can work in Seattle without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a masonry & concrete search in Seattle 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 Seattle than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Service Operations CoordinatorA lead dispatcher used to 20-25 technicians and 75 calls a day, placed in eight days.
- Commercial SuperintendentTwenty-five years of ground-up commercial leadership, placed in two weeks.
- Construction SuperintendentTenant-improvement and renovation leadership, including prevailing-wage public work.
Nearby markets competing for Seattle talent.
The closest metro we cover is Portland, about 145 miles away, with roughly 400 brickmasons and blockmasons (1.3 times Seattle's 310). Seattle pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($97,830 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Spokane at $78,010.
What else is competing for Seattle crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Seattle in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Seattle Convention Center Summit + downtown commercial~$2BSummit building completed January 2023; adjacent downtown towers ongoing
The Summit building itself is already open -- current demand is from adjacent downtown towers and commercial work, not the convention center build-out itself. Large-scale commercial MEP, curtain wall, and envelope work in a dense urban core.
- Sound Transit ST3 light-rail expansion$185B+ (revised from the original 2016 $54B estimate)Phased through 2044
Largest transit expansion in the region's history. Heavy civil, tunneling, stations, systems + traction power. Multi-year demand for civil crews, high-voltage electricians, and transit-experienced supers.
- Amazon & Microsoft campus build-outs + TIsReal trend, no verified regional totalRolling
South Lake Union and Eastside campuses plus continuous tenant-improvement churn. High-spec commercial MEP, fast-track fit-out, senior PMs with tech-client experience in constant demand.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Seattle market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Seattle.
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 Seattle.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Seattle?
BLS puts the Seattle median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $97,830 a year, 57% above the $62,120 national median. That ranks 2nd of 91 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $59,580 and $115,460, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Washington metro we cover pays more for this work (Spokane: $78,010).
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Seattle?
Yes. Seattle has 55% fewer brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, roughly 310 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 31 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 22 employees per location.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Seattle?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Seattle, a $159,430 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Bricklayer / Mason at $97,830, 39% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $56,770. Relative to national pay, Concrete Pump Operator is the strongest-paying role here (60% above).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Seattle?
BLS counted 31 nonresidential masonry contractors in Seattle in 2023, employing about 680 people between them. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (31). That averages 22 people per location. They pay an average of $89,438, 31% above the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 53 nonresidential concrete contractors in Seattle in 2023, employing about 1,731 people between them. Up from 50 in 2018, a 6% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 33 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $90,381, 21% above the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Seattle for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Portland (145 miles, about 400, $81,700 median) and Spokane (228 miles, about 40, $78,010 median). Seattle out-pays Portland and Spokane, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With brickmasons and blockmasons this scarce in Seattle, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
Schedule a Discovery Call →