How much do brickmasons make in Louisiana in 2026?

The median brickmason in Louisiana earns $57,440 a year, which works out to about $27.62 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the number that sits right in the middle of the wage distribution — half of brickmasons in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're sizing up a job offer or negotiating a raise, that's your baseline.

The bottom quarter of Louisiana brickmasons — the 25th percentile — earns $47,940 a year, or roughly $23.05 an hour. This tier typically reflects workers still building their skills: newer journeymen, those who recently completed an apprenticeship, or workers in areas with less commercial construction activity. The gap between the 25th percentile and the median is about $9,500 a year, which underscores how much experience and specialization move the needle early in a career.

At the 75th percentile, pay reaches $60,790 a year, or about $29.23 an hour. Workers at this level tend to have years of consistent fieldwork behind them, often specialize in higher-demand applications — restoration masonry, refractory work, decorative brick facades — and may take on lead or foreman responsibilities. The spread from the 25th to the 75th percentile is $12,850 annually, meaning the difference between an entry-level wage and a top-quartile wage is real but not massive. Getting into that top tier is mainly a matter of stacking experience and expanding your skill set deliberately.

Louisiana's climate is a notable factor for brickmasons. Hot, humid summers can limit productive outdoor hours, while the relatively mild winters mean fewer weather-related work stoppages than you'd see in northern states. The Gulf Coast construction corridor — particularly the Baton Rouge to New Orleans metro area — drives a significant share of masonry demand, from commercial builds to historic restoration projects in the French Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods. Workers based in or willing to travel to those metros generally see more consistent work and stronger competition for skilled labor.

Outside the metro areas, rural parishes typically offer fewer commercial projects and more residential or agricultural work, which can mean lower pay rates. Workers in the Lake Charles area have also seen construction activity tied to petrochemical and industrial plant work, which can create demand spikes for skilled masons.

Overtime is a real income lever for brickmasons. On large commercial or industrial jobs, 50- to 55-hour weeks are common during peak phases. At $27.62 an hour straight time, an extra 10 hours a week at time-and-a-half adds roughly $414 to a weekly paycheck — that compounds fast over a full construction season.

The figures here come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. The BLS captures base wages paid by employers but does not include overtime, bonuses, per diem, or tool allowances. Your actual take-home on a busy year can run notably higher than the annual figures suggest.

Some workers may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

To move up the pay scale, the clearest paths are pursuing formal apprenticeship training if you haven't completed one, adding certifications in tuckpointing or restoration work, and positioning yourself for jobs in the industrial and commercial sectors where bid values — and wage budgets — are larger. Supervisory experience also opens the door to estimating and project management roles that often pay above the top brickmason percentile.