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Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Tucson.

At a $55,310 median, brickmasons and blockmasons in Tucson earn 11% less than nationally; about 120 work in the metro. 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 Tucson.

BLS counts about 3,380 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Tucson metro, the largest group being carpenters (about 1,380). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.89). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.

Bricklayer / Mason

Tucson: 120 employed · $55,310 median, 72nd-highest of 91 metros

Concrete Finisher

Tucson: 590 employed · $57,500 median, 53rd-highest of 111 metros

Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter

Tucson: 1,380 employed · $49,110 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros

Masonry Foreman

Tucson: 1,900 employed · $71,480 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros

Concrete Pump Operator

Tucson: 1,130 employed · $58,100 median, 64th-highest of 112 metros

Estimator

Tucson: 630 employed · $73,590 median, 84th-highest of 111 metros

Project Manager

Tucson: 820 employed · $98,740 median, 103rd-highest of 111 metros

Restoration Mason

Precast Concrete Technician

Tucson: 50 employed · $47,150 median, 35th-highest of 85 metros

Concrete Testing Technician

Tucson: 110 employed · $66,480 median, 44th-highest of 111 metros

Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Charlotte, NC too.

What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Tucson.

Brickmasons and blockmasons in Tucson earn a median $55,310, 11% under the $62,120 national figure, and 72nd of 91 metros. Pay runs $41,150 at the tenth percentile to $68,610 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $66,480 against $64,950 nationally.

What these roles pay in Tucson
RoleTucson medianTypical rangeNational medianvs. nationalEmployed locally
Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021)$55,310$41,150–$68,610$62,120−11%120
Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051)$57,500$45,690–$70,540$57,020+1%590
Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031)$49,110$37,660–$72,290$60,580−19%1,380
Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011)$71,480$49,990–$98,080$79,920−11%1,900
Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073)$58,100$45,160–$75,250$59,850−3%1,130
EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051)$73,590$46,610–$122,640$78,740−7%630
Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021)$98,740$70,300–$160,120$114,990−14%820
Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195)$47,150$45,720–$55,260$46,170+2%50
Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022)$66,480$44,210–$82,460$64,950+2%110

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tucson 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 Tucson's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.

Tucson lost nonresidential masonry contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 15 business locations to 12 (down 20%), behind the 6% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 25%, to about 180 people. Average annual pay there went from $44,047 to $66,883 (+52%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Tucson rose from 14 in 2018 to 16 in 2023, up 14%, close to the 11% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 14%, to about 241 people. Average annual pay there went from $39,512 to $61,360 (+55%), faster than the 25% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.

Tucson, 2018 vs 2023
Measure20182023Change
Nonresidential masonry contractors: business locations1512−20%
Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment241180−25%
Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay$44,047$66,883+52%
Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations1416+14%
Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment211241+14%
Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay$39,512$61,360+55%

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.

Tucson · masonry and concrete · market scale
590employed in the Tucson metro
1.15concentration vs. the national rate
$57,500BLS metro median, all cement masons and concrete finishers

Tucson runs 15% more masonry and concrete workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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.

Local market detail

How Tucson's masonry and concrete market compares

12nonresidential masonry contractors in the metro
180people on their payrolls
$66,883average annual pay at these firms
+25.9%change in headcount over the year
16nonresidential concrete contractors in the metro
241people on their payrolls
$61,360average annual pay at these firms
+6.6%change in headcount over the year

In 2023 the Tucson metro had 16 nonresidential concrete contractors (counted by business location), with about 241 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $61,360, 18% below the national average of $74,865 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 6.6% over the year, faster than the 5.5% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. The number of these employers rose 14.3%, more firms competing for the same crews. 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 1.2% of all construction employment in the metro.

Among the 99 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Tucson ranks 59th for headcount, 49th for median pay and 34th for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers.

Arizona metros we cover: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
MetroEmployedMedian payConcentrationCommercial employers
Phoenix6,120$59,2601.9455
Tucson590$57,5001.1512

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 Tucson, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.

Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Tucson metro. Employers are counted by business location.

Masonry & Concrete licensing in Arizona.

Arizona requires contractors and subcontractors to be licensed, with commercial classifications including C-31 Masonry, C-9 Concrete and C-40 Insulation. A handyman exemption covers only jobs under $1,000 that need no building permit. The same state rules apply in Phoenix, so candidates licensed there can work in Tucson without re-qualifying.

Licensing authority: Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.

Nearby markets competing for Tucson talent.

The closest metro we cover is Phoenix, about 110 miles away, with roughly 930 brickmasons and blockmasons (7.8 times Tucson's 120). Phoenix pays the most nearby, a $59,390 median, 7% above Tucson. That is the number any Tucson offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Phoenix has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.

Brickmasons and blockmasons within 300 miles
MetroDistanceEmployedMedian pay
Tucson–120$55,310
Phoenix108 mi930$59,390
El Paso262 mi60$48,940

BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.

MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, TUCSON

What else is competing for Tucson crews.

Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Tucson in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.

  • Tucson Electric Power solar farm$150M, 100MW
    Construction 18-24 months, full operations expected late 2026

    A utility-scale solar facility sized to power roughly 25,000 homes, including grid-interconnection upgrades. Hundreds of construction jobs during the build phase, concentrated in electrical and heavy-civil trades.

This is the only project we track in Tucson. The Tucson market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.

WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN THE HIRE, TUCSON

What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Tucson.

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 Tucson.

What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Tucson?

BLS puts the Tucson median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $55,310 a year, 11% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 72nd of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $41,150 and $68,610, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Arizona, Phoenix pays more, at $59,390.

Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Tucson?

It is about average. Brickmasons and blockmasons are as common in Tucson as they are nationally (location quotient 0.89), with about 120 in the metro. The 12 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 15 employees per location. There are 20% fewer of those firms than in 2018, so experienced people have fewer local employers to move between.

Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Tucson?

Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Tucson, a $98,740 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $66,480, 33% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $47,150. Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter trails national pay the most (19% below).

How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Tucson?

BLS counted 12 nonresidential masonry contractors in Tucson in 2023, employing about 180 people between them. Down from 15 in 2018, a 20% decline against 6% decline nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay about the national average of $68,219. BLS counted 16 nonresidential concrete contractors in Tucson in 2023, employing about 241 people between them. Up from 14 in 2018, a 14% increase against 11% growth nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay an average of $61,360, 18% below the $74,865 national average for the same kind of employer.

Which nearby metros compete with Tucson for brickmasons and blockmasons?

The closest metros we cover with published figures are Phoenix (108 miles, about 930, $59,390 median) and El Paso (262 miles, about 60, $48,940 median). Phoenix has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Phoenix pays 7% more, which is where Tucson employers tend to lose people.

The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.

12 nonresidential masonry contractors in Tucson are drawing on the same 120 brickmasons and blockmasons. Let's get your next hire lined up first.

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