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Commercial Construction
Turner Construction, DPR Construction, Skanska
Home / All Jobs / Trades / Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
This job supports brick, block, stone, and tile setters by mixing materials, hauling supplies, tearing out damaged work, and cleaning up and finishing joints. The work is physical and detail-sensitive at the same time: you spend a lot of the day moving heavy materials, but mistakes in mixing, spacing, or cleanup can ruin the finish. It’s an accessible way into the trades, but the tradeoff is that employment is projected to decline and pay can stay modest unless you move into a skilled setter role.
Also known as Mason TenderMasonry HelperBrickmason HelperTile HelperStone Mason Helper
Median Salary
$46,480
Mean $49,730
U.S. Workforce
~16K
1.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-10.5%
16.1K to 14.4K
Entry Education
No formal educational credential
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~16K workers, with a median annual pay of $46,480 and roughly 1.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 16.1 K in 2024 to 14.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Construction Laborer and can progress toward Masonry Foreman. High-value skills usually include Mortar, Grout & Mixing Equipment, Tape Measures, Levels & Laser Layout Tools, and Trowels, Floats & Joint Finishing Tools, paired with soft skills such as Coordination, Critical Thinking, and Monitoring.
Core Responsibilities
- Mix mortar, grout, or plaster so it has the right thickness for the job.
- Remove loose tile, brick, or old mortar and clean or rough up the surface underneath so new material will stick.
- Carry bricks, tile, tools, and small machines to the work area and help set up the jobsite.
- Change the way materials are mixed, ground, polished, or cleaned when the surface or product calls for it.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Mix mortar, grout, or plaster so it has the right thickness for the job.
02 Remove loose tile, brick, or old mortar and clean or rough up the surface underneath so new material will stick.
03 Carry bricks, tile, tools, and small machines to the work area and help set up the jobsite.
04 Change the way materials are mixed, ground, polished, or cleaned when the surface or product calls for it.
05 Spread grout into joints and wipe away the extra before it hardens.
06 Apply sealants or caulk where a finished surface needs to be closed off, then clean tools and the work area.
Industries That Hire
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Residential Construction
D.R. Horton, Lennar, PulteGroup
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Specialty Trade Contractors
EMCOR, Comfort Systems USA, Quanta Services
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Remodeling and Home Improvement
The Home Depot, Lowe's, Floor & Decor
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Restoration and Institutional Construction
Gilbane Building Company, The Christman Company, Hensel Phelps
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can get started without a formal degree, and BLS says short-term on-the-job training is enough to begin learning the work.
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The median pay is $46,480, which is solid for an entry-level trade job that does not require college.
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There are still about 1.4K annual openings, so employers keep hiring even though the occupation is shrinking.
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The work teaches hands-on construction skills that can lead to better-paid masonry, tile, or foreman jobs later.
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If you like active work, this job keeps you off a desk and gives you visible results at the end of the day.
Challenges
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Employment is projected to drop 10.5% by 2034, from 16.1K to 14.4K, so the long-term market is getting smaller.
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The job sits near the bottom of the trade ladder, so pay can plateau unless you move into a full mason or tile setter role.
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The work is heavy and repetitive: you spend a lot of time lifting, kneeling, scraping, and cleaning.
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A lot of demand depends on construction cycles, so hiring can slow quickly when projects are delayed or canceled.
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Because the training barrier is low, there can be plenty of competition for the easiest-to-fill openings.
Career Progression
Construction Laborer
0-2 years
$32K-$40K
You start by hauling materials, cleaning sites, and learning basic jobsite safety and tool handling.
Masonry Helper
1-4 years
$42K-$52K
You mix materials, prepare surfaces, and support masons and tile setters on active projects.
Brickmason / Tile Setter THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$55K-$72K
You take on more precise layout and installation work and solve fit or finish problems on the fly.
Masonry Foreman
8-12 years
$75K-$95K
You lead a crew, assign tasks, check quality, and keep materials and schedules moving.
Education Paths
High school diploma
The most common education route, held by 58.01% of workers in this role.
Less than a high school diploma
A sizable 24.19% of workers have less than a high school diploma, showing that employers often care more about reliability and physical readiness than formal schooling.
Post-secondary certificate in construction or masonry
Another 11.57% come in with a certificate, often from a trade program that teaches basic layout, materials, and jobsite safety.
Short-term on-the-job training
BLS says no formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training are typical, so many people learn the job by working beside experienced crew members.
Key Skills
Technical
Mortar, Grout & Mixing Equipment 50%
Tape Measures, Levels & Laser Layout Tools 49%
Trowels, Floats & Joint Finishing Tools 48%
Hammers, Chisels, Drills & Grinders 47%
Caulk Guns, Sealants & Edge Finishing 45%
Surface Prep, Demo & Patch Repair 44%
Soft Skills
CoordinationCritical ThinkingMonitoringTime ManagementActive ListeningJudgment and Decision Making Job Outlook and Trends
+-10.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 16.1K to 14.4 K over the next decade, representing -10.5% growth. Around 1.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.