Masonry & Concrete recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
Winston-Salem has 57% more brickmasons and blockmasons per job than the country as a whole, about 140 in the metro. BLS counts 16 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 Winston-Salem.
BLS counts about 1,760 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Winston-Salem metro, the largest group being operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (about 770). Relative to the size of the local economy, brickmasons and blockmasons are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.57). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Masonry & Concrete hub.
Bricklayer / Mason
Winston-Salem: 140 employed · $47,910 median, 89th-highest of 91 metros
Concrete Finisher
Winston-Salem: 210 employed · $44,680 median, 106th-highest of 111 metros
Concrete Form Setter / Carpenter
Winston-Salem: 510 employed · $49,940 median, 87th-highest of 112 metros
Masonry Foreman
Winston-Salem: 1,500 employed · $74,360 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
Concrete Pump Operator
Winston-Salem: 770 employed · $47,590 median, 106th-highest of 112 metros
Estimator
Winston-Salem: 540 employed · $71,220 median, 99th-highest of 111 metros
Project Manager
Winston-Salem: 710 employed · $103,750 median, 79th-highest of 111 metros
Restoration Mason
Precast Concrete Technician
Winston-Salem: 40 employed · $41,580 median, 73rd-highest of 85 metros
Concrete Testing Technician
Winston-Salem: 90 employed · $55,740 median, 99th-highest of 111 metros
What Masonry & Concrete roles earn in Winston-Salem.
Brickmasons and blockmasons in Winston-Salem earn a median $47,910, 23% under the $62,120 national figure, and 89th of 91 metros. Pay runs $37,610 at the tenth percentile to $58,890 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is civil engineering technologists and technicians, at $55,740 against $64,950 nationally.
| Role | Winston-Salem median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer / Mason · Restoration MasonBrickmasons and Blockmasons (47-2021) | $47,910 | $37,610–$58,890 | $62,120 | −23% | 140 |
| Concrete FinisherCement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051) | $44,680 | $36,070–$58,200 | $57,020 | −22% | 210 |
| Concrete Form Setter / CarpenterCarpenters (47-2031) | $49,940 | $35,600–$69,050 | $60,580 | −18% | 510 |
| Masonry ForemanFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,360 | $49,940–$104,740 | $79,920 | −7% | 1,500 |
| Concrete Pump OperatorOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (47-2073) | $47,590 | $38,020–$60,760 | $59,850 | −20% | 770 |
| EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $71,220 | $36,300–$106,740 | $78,740 | −10% | 540 |
| Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,750 | $65,330–$181,260 | $114,990 | −10% | 710 |
| Precast Concrete TechnicianMolders, Shapers, and Casters (51-9195) | $41,580 | $29,510–$80,120 | $46,170 | −10% | 40 |
| Concrete Testing TechnicianCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $55,740 | $44,390–$69,170 | $64,950 | −14% | 90 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's masonry & concrete market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential masonry contractors in Winston-Salem rose from 13 in 2018 to 16 in 2023, up 23%, ahead of the 6% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 44%, to about 166 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $48,999 to $44,951 (−8%), slower than the 23% national increase. The number of nonresidential concrete contractors in Winston-Salem rose from 9 in 2018 to 11 in 2023, up 22%, ahead of the 11% national rise. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 11 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 | 13 | 16 | +23% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: employment | 296 | 166 | −44% |
| Nonresidential masonry contractors: average annual pay | $48,999 | $44,951 | −8% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: business locations | 9 | 11 | +22% |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: employment | 121 | – | – |
| Nonresidential concrete contractors: average annual pay | $45,946 | – | – |
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
Winston-Salem runs 42% 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 Winston-Salem's masonry and concrete market compares
In 2023 the Winston-Salem metro had 11 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. The number of these employers rose 22.2%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 1.6 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, Winston-Salem ranks 89th for headcount, 96th for median pay and 81st for concentration for cement masons and concrete finishers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 1,390 | $48,200 | 0.77 | 36 |
| Raleigh | 870 | $47,430 | 0.88 | 22 |
| Greensboro | 440 | $46,030 | 0.90 | 3 |
| Winston-Salem | 210 | $44,680 | 0.58 | 16 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 140 | $44,420 | 0.31 | 4 |
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 Winston-Salem, 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, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Masonry & Concrete licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina requires a general contractor license for construction projects costing $40,000 or more. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Winston-Salem without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Winston-Salem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Greensboro, about 25 miles away. Charlotte pays the most nearby, a $52,500 median, 10% above Winston-Salem. That is the number any Winston-Salem offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | – | 140 | $47,910 |
| Greensboro | 25 mi | – | – |
| Charlotte | 69 mi | 760 | $52,500 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 75 mi | – | – |
| Raleigh | 93 mi | 290 | $49,920 |
| Greenville | 149 mi | 60 | $49,730 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Winston-Salem crews.
Not masonry & concrete work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Winston-Salem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)Opened July 2025
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space.
- Downtown amphitheater~$25MGroundbreaking July 2026
A permanent, 5,000-capacity venue - grown from an initial ~$10M modular concept - anchoring downtown's entertainment district.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Winston-Salem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for masonry & concrete, and what kills offers in Winston-Salem.
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 Winston-Salem.
What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Winston-Salem?
BLS puts the Winston-Salem median for brickmasons and blockmasons at $47,910 a year, 23% below the $62,120 national median. That ranks 89th of 91 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Pay is bunched together here, $37,610 to $58,890 across the 10th to 90th percentile and only a 1.6x gap, so small differences in an offer are noticed. Within North Carolina, Charlotte pays more, at $52,500.
Is it hard to hire brickmasons and blockmasons in Winston-Salem?
Not by national standards. Brickmasons and blockmasons make up 57% more of the Winston-Salem workforce than they do nationally, about 140 people. The 16 nonresidential masonry contractors here average about 10 employees per location. With 23% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which masonry & concrete roles pay the most in Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Project Manager pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $103,750 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Concrete Testing Technician at $55,740, 46% below it. Precast Concrete Technician is the lowest-paid field role at $41,580. Bricklayer / Mason trails national pay the most (23% below).
How many nonresidential masonry contractors operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 16 nonresidential masonry contractors in Winston-Salem in 2023, employing about 166 people between them. Up from 13 in 2018, a 23% increase against 6% decline nationally. That averages 10 people per location. They pay an average of $44,951, 34% below the $68,219 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 11 nonresidential concrete contractors in Winston-Salem in 2023. Up from 9 in 2018, a 22% increase 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 Winston-Salem for brickmasons and blockmasons?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Charlotte (69 miles, about 760, $52,500 median), Raleigh (93 miles, about 290, $49,920 median) and Greenville (149 miles, about 60, $49,730 median). Charlotte has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Charlotte pays 10% more, which is where Winston-Salem employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Winston-Salem 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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