How much do brickmasons make in Maryland in 2026?

The median brickmason in Maryland earns $59,030 a year, or about $28.38 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of brickmasons in the state earn more, half earn less. Where you land on that range depends on your experience, who you work for, and what part of the state you're working in.

The bottom quarter of Maryland brickmasons — those just starting out or working in lower-paying markets — earn around $46,980 a year, which works out to roughly $22.59 an hour. That's entry-level territory: think apprentices finishing up their training, or journeymen who recently moved into the trade and haven't built up a strong local reputation yet.

The top quarter clears at least $62,400 a year, or $30.00 an hour. These are typically experienced masons with five or more years on the tools, workers on commercial or government projects that pay better than residential work, and those who've picked up specialty skills like restoration, historical masonry, or setting refractory brick in industrial settings.

That $15,420 gap between the 25th and 75th percentiles tells you there's real money to be made by developing your skills and picking the right jobs. It's not a compressed pay scale — effort and experience actually move the needle here.

Maryland's geography matters. The Baltimore metro, suburban DC counties like Montgomery and Prince George's, and the commercial corridors along I-270 and I-95 tend to support stronger wages than the Eastern Shore or Western Maryland's more rural markets. Larger commercial and institutional projects in these urban corridors typically pay more per hour than single-family residential work, and they run longer schedules with more consistent hours.

Overtime can shift your annual take-home significantly. A mason working a standard 40-hour week at the median rate earns that $59,030. Add 10 hours of overtime per week at time-and-a-half — which happens regularly during heavy construction seasons in spring and summer — and you're looking at meaningfully more without any change in your base rate. Seasonal slowdowns in winter can cut into annual totals, so workers who track their hours over a full calendar year sometimes end up below what an hourly rate suggests.

Commercial and government projects in Maryland — hospitals, schools, transit infrastructure, and public housing renovation — tend to produce the most consistent brickmason work and the highest hourly rates. Residential repointing and chimney work is more variable, both in volume and pay.

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

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path. Maryland brickmason apprenticeships typically run three to four years, with pay starting around 50–60% of journeyman scale and stepping up annually. Completing a registered apprenticeship program also puts you in line for better-paying commercial work, since many general contractors on large projects require it.

To push your pay above the 75th percentile, the clearest levers are: specializing in restoration or tuckpointing on historic buildings (Maryland has a lot of them), getting certified or trained in refractory masonry, moving to foreman or working supervisor roles, or consistently landing work on public projects where prevailing wage rates apply. Prevailing wage jobs in Maryland often pay above the BLS median, and those rates are posted publicly by the Maryland Department of Labor for each county and project type.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. BLS data covers wages from employer payroll records and does not capture side jobs, unreported cash pay, or the value of benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions. Your actual total compensation may differ.