A mason at a concrete and masonry company pours, levels and finishes concrete for driveways, patios and slabs, and lays block, brick and stone for walls and steps. They read the plans, mix to the right consistency, and keep the site safe while the homeowner looks on.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, structure and exterior contractors · BLS, May 2025
Deliver high-quality masonry and concrete work that enhances residential and commercial spaces. Execute precise placement, leveling, and finishing of concrete surfaces and masonry structures. Contribute to overall project efficiency and customer satisfaction through expert craftsmanship. Collaborate closely with team members to maintain timely project completion and adherence to safety standards.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Place, level, and finish concrete surfaces with precision.
Lay block, brick, and stone, ensuring accurate alignment and secure installation.
Interpret blueprints and project specifications to deliver quality craftsmanship.
Utilize hand and power tools in accordance with safety protocols.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review project plans and prepare work areas to ensure precise execution.
Mix and pour concrete while monitoring consistency and workability.
Interact with customers on site to address inquiries and provide progress updates.
Conduct routine equipment inspections and perform minor maintenance as needed.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Project Completion Rate: 95% of projects completed on schedule.
Quality Rating: Achieve a customer satisfaction rating of >4.8 stars.
Rework Percentage: Maintain call-back rate for repairs at <5%.
Safety Record: Zero lost-time incidents per quarter.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Minimum of 2 years of experience in masonry or concrete work.
Ability to read blueprints and measure accurately.
Proficient in hand and power tool operation and safety practices.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in residential and commercial construction projects.
Background in specialized concrete finishing techniques.
Familiarity with modern masonry equipment and technology.
Previous work with a diverse range of masonry materials is advantageous.
7. Physical Requirements
Capable of lifting at least 50 pounds regularly.
Ability to work in various weather conditions including hot, cold, and wet environments.
Frequent bending, stooping, and standing for extended periods.
Comfortable working in confined spaces and at elevated surfaces.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours typically range from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Occasional overtime and weekend shifts to meet project deadlines.
On-site work in both residential and commercial settings.
Minimal travel required within local regions as per project needs.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage ranging from $20 - $30 per hour based on experience.
Performance bonuses available upon meeting quality and efficiency targets.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster an inclusive, growth-oriented environment where team members are encouraged to achieve excellence.
Our company values integrity, craftsmanship, and innovation in every project we undertake.
We invest in continuous training and development to empower our employees for success.
Our team-centric culture emphasizes collaboration, respect, and mutual support in reaching our shared goals.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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Most masons pick a lane: flatwork, or brick and block. At a company that pours a driveway one week and builds a stone seat wall the next, this person works both, sometimes in the same backyard.
Two trades in one job
Concrete finishers set and check forms, spread and level the mix, mold edges and joints, and broom or trowel the top. Brick and block masons build with units set in mortar. O*NET and BLS treat these as separate jobs. A contractor that builds a patio with a block seat wall needs both, so ask candidates which side they're stronger on and test the other one. Source: O*NET OnLine: Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051.00).
Wet cement burns without warning
OSHA warns that wet cement is caustic and that its burns may not hurt at first, so the damage is done before anyone notices. Gloves and boots can make it worse when cement gets inside them. OSHA's guide points to snug butyl or nitrile gloves, boots tall enough to tuck pants into, and waterproof kneepads or dry kneeboards. Construction employers must also provide washing facilities with clean water, non-alkaline soap and clean towels. Source: OSHA: Preventing skin problems from working with portland cement (OSHA 3351).
Cutting and raking joints means silica dust
Sawing block, brick or concrete and grinding out old mortar throw silica dust. OSHA's construction silica table sets the controls: saws with a steady water feed at the blade, and a shrouded grinder with a dust collector for mortar removal. That grinder work needs a respirator from the start. Outdoors, a handheld saw or jackhammer adds one once the shift's listed tasks pass four hours. Dust is cleaned up wet or with a HEPA vacuum; dry sweeping that adds to exposure is allowed only when those aren't feasible. Source: OSHA: Respirable crystalline silica in construction (29 CFR 1926.1153).
Pour day runs on the truck's clock
Once the ready-mix truck backs in, the crew has to place, screed and float before the concrete sets, and a mason who hasn't checked the forms holds everyone up. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association says heat speeds up the set, so finishing has to keep pace. Its advice is to plan deliveries so trucks can unload right away and to skip the hottest part of the day. Source: NRMCA Concrete in Practice 12: Hot weather concreting.
Old brick needs softer mortar
Repointing historic brick is its own skill. The National Park Service's repointing guide says new mortar should be softer and more vapor permeable than the brick, and no harder than the old mortar. Mortar that's too strong pushes stress into the brick, which can crack and spall. The new mortar should also match the old in color, sand and tooling. Source: National Park Service Preservation Brief 2: Repointing mortar joints in historic masonry buildings.
How much masons make
The closest BLS group for masons is cement masons and concrete finishers. Cement masons and concrete finishers who work for foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors earned a median of $27.12 an hour ($56,410 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $57,020 median for cement masons and concrete finishers in all industries. About 104,250 of the 206,170 cement masons and concrete finishers in that survey work for structure and exterior contractors.
Hourly pay in the template, topped up by a bonus when the mason meets quality and efficiency goals. These figures cover cement masons and concrete finishers. BLS counts brick and block masons as a separate group whose pay runs a little higher, so look there too if the job is mostly brick.
Structure and exterior contractors
$56,410$56,410 median Middle half $46,830–$64,290 10th–90th $38,690–$80,760
All industries
$57,020$57,020 median Middle half $47,010–$66,870 10th–90th $39,190–$85,480
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k$100k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Structure and exterior contractors
$38,690
$46,830
$56,410
$64,290
$80,760
All industries
$39,190
$47,010
$57,020
$66,870
$85,480
BLS doesn’t publish pay for concrete and masonry contractors on their own. These figures cover foundation, structure and building exterior contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Places, screeds, floats and edges concrete to grade
Lays block and brick to a line, level and plumb
Reads plans and checks forms and slope before the pour
Judges mortar and concrete mixes by feel and by slump
Cuts wet and keeps wet cement off skin
Talks plainly with a homeowner standing at the edge of the pour
Teach these on the job
Stamped and colored concrete patterns
Stone veneer and natural stone walls
Your joint layout, curing and sealer routine
Running a power trowel or a walk-behind saw
Your job photos and end-of-day cleanup list
Flatwork runs on bull floats, hand and power trowels, edgers, groovers, screeds and a concrete vibrator. Block and brick take trowels, jointers, levels, line and a water-fed masonry saw, so list the work you do most and say whether you sell stamped or decorative concrete.
Mason interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Rain on fresh concrete
Rain starts soon after you finished a broom-finish sidewalk. What do you do?
A strong answer: Covers it with plastic if it can take it without marking, protects edges, tells the lead, and doesn't trowel rainwater into the surface.
Behavioral · Talking with customers
Tell me about a time a homeowner asked you something on the job, like when they could drive on it or why it cracked, that you couldn't answer.
A strong answer: Was polite, didn't guess, told the customer who would get back to them, and passed the question to the lead or office the same day.
Use the Drive targets as a starting line, then reset them after a season of your own pours and walls. Credit each number to the jobs this mason actually worked.
Project Completion Rate
Count the mason's jobs wrapped up on the day you booked. Note when rain or a late truck caused the slip, so the mason isn't blamed for it.
Quality Rating
Homeowner ratings on jobs the mason worked, read beside your own walk of the finish: joint lines, edges, broom texture and clean brick faces.
Rework Percentage
Track call-backs for cracks outside the joints, scaling, loose caps or mortar smears, and tie each one to the crew that poured or laid it.
Safety Record
Log lost-time injuries along with near misses, cement burns and saw cuts. Review them every month instead of waiting for the quarter to close.
Career path
Laborer / helperMixes mortar, stocks block, strips forms and learns finishing beside the crew.
MasonPlaces and finishes concrete and lays block, brick and stone to a line.
Lead masonRuns the work on one site and teaches the crew finishing and layout.
Field supervisorWalks several crews' sites for quality and safety each week.
What's the difference between a mason and a concrete finisher?
A concrete finisher works wet concrete: forms, screeding, floating, edging and cutting joints. A mason builds with brick, block and stone set in mortar. Where one company sells both, one title often covers both skills. Say in the ad which one you need most and roughly how the week splits between them.
How much does a mason make?
Cement masons and concrete finishers who work for foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors earned a median of $27.12 an hour ($56,410 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $46,830 and $64,290 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
How can I test a mason before I hire them?
Set up a short paid trial. Have them lay a few courses of block to a string line and check them for level and plumb, then float and edge a small slab or a step. Watch how they mix, whether they cut wet, and whether they clean their tools before the mortar sets. Those habits tell you as much as the finished piece.
Does a mason bring their own tools?
Settle this before the ad goes up. Masons often own trowels, jointers, a level, line and a tape. Mixers, saws, vibrators and power trowels cost more and wear faster, so most owners keep them in the company's name. Put your split in the ad and hand new hires a day-one list.
Can masons keep working through the winter?
Often, with planning. NRMCA says fresh concrete has to be kept from freezing until it gains early strength, about two days after the pour, and that cold slows the set. Crews use insulated blankets, enclosures or vented heaters, and accelerating admixtures, which speed the set but don't stop freezing. Ask candidates what cold-weather pours they've protected and how.
