How much do brickmasons make in Colorado in 2026?

The median brickmason in Colorado earns $65,260 a year, which works out to about $31.38 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of Colorado's brickmasons earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a slower market, expect pay closer to $51,230 annually (~$24.63/hr), which is where the bottom quarter of earners lands. Experienced masons working on demanding commercial or industrial projects push into the 75th percentile at $75,120 a year (~$36.12/hr). All figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025.

That $23,890 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile isn't random. It reflects real differences in what employers are willing to pay, and understanding those differences is how you move up the range.

Specialization is one of the biggest levers. Masons who work exclusively with brick are competing for residential and light commercial jobs. Masons who can also lay block, stone, and architectural masonry — or who have experience with restoration and tuckpointing on historic structures — make themselves useful to a broader set of contractors and can negotiate accordingly. Colorado has a significant stock of older masonry buildings along the Front Range, and restoration work commands a premium because fewer workers can do it correctly.

Geography matters inside Colorado, too. The Denver metro, Colorado Springs, and Boulder are the highest-volume markets for commercial construction. Jobs in those areas tend to pay more than work in smaller mountain towns or rural eastern Colorado, both because demand is higher and because the cost of living pushes wage floors up. That said, resort communities like Vail and Aspen occasionally have luxury residential projects that pay well above the state median, particularly for finish masonry and custom stonework.

Employer type shapes your check as much as your skill level. Large general contractors and specialty masonry subcontractors doing multi-story commercial or institutional work typically pay more per hour than small residential outfits. Union membership data specific to brickmasons in Colorado is not available for this trade and state, so wage comparisons between union and non-union shops aren't possible here.

Experience compounds in this trade. A mason with two years under their belt laying residential brick is not the same as one with ten years who has built everything from parking structures to university facades. Foreman and lead mason roles in Colorado can push total compensation — including overtime — well above the 75th percentile figure cited here. Overtime is common in busy construction seasons, particularly spring through fall along the Front Range, and that additional time at 1.5x the base rate adds up quickly.

Apprenticeship completion also shifts where you start on the pay scale. Masons who finish a formal apprenticeship program — typically three to four years combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction — enter the workforce with documented skill levels that employers pay for. Those without formal credentials may start closer to the 25th percentile and take longer to climb.

If you're evaluating a job offer, work backward from these benchmarks. An offer of $28/hr for a mid-career mason in Denver is below the state median. An offer of $34–$36/hr for someone with five or more years is right in line with the 75th percentile. Anything above $36/hr likely reflects either a specialty skill set, a supervisory role, or a particularly demanding project type. Use these numbers as your floor for negotiation, not your ceiling.