How much do brickmasons make in New Jersey in 2026?

The median brickmason in New Jersey earns $77,010 a year — that works out to roughly $37.02 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits well above the national median for the trade, reflecting New Jersey's high construction costs, dense commercial and residential development corridors, and a persistent demand for skilled masonry work up and down the state.

Pay is spread wide in this trade. The bottom quarter of brickmasons in New Jersey — those at the 25th percentile — earn around $61,550 annually, or about $29.59 an hour. Workers at the top quarter hit $103,700 or more, which is roughly $49.86 an hour. The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is over $42,000 a year. That spread is not random. It tracks closely with years of experience, the complexity of work a mason can handle, and whether a worker is on large commercial projects or smaller residential jobs.

Geography within New Jersey moves the needle too. The northeastern counties — Hudson, Bergen, Essex, and Union — sit directly across from New York City and feed into a construction market that demands masonry work on high-rises, institutional buildings, historic restoration, and infrastructure. Workers in those counties tend to pull wages toward or above the 75th percentile. Move further south into Cumberland or Salem counties, and the volume of large commercial work drops off, pulling typical pay closer to the median or below it.

Specialty work commands a premium. Brickmasons who can handle refractory work, ornamental brick patterns, historic tuckpointing, or structural restoration on older masonry buildings are harder to replace. Contractors pay more to keep those workers. A mason who broadens into concrete block, stone setting, or tile can also take on a wider range of jobs, which means fewer slow weeks and more leverage when negotiating rate.

Overtime is a real factor in annual earnings. New Jersey's construction season peaks from roughly April through November. During busy stretches, it is not unusual for field crews to log 50 or 55 hours a week. At the median hourly rate of $37.02, each overtime hour pays $55.53. A mason who picks up 10 overtime hours per week for 20 weeks adds over $11,000 to their annual gross — enough to push a median earner close to a 75th-percentile annual figure.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path. A typical bricklaying apprenticeship runs three to four years and combines on-the-job hours with technical instruction. Apprentices start below the 25th percentile and step up in rate as they complete each year. By the time a worker completes an apprenticeship and journeys out, they are typically landing in the range of the 25th to median. From there, experience and specialization push earnings toward the 75th percentile and beyond.

Licensing in New Jersey does not follow a single statewide brickmason license, but many municipalities and counties require contractors to be registered, and some project types require certified workers. Masons who invest in certifications — such as masonry industry certification programs or OSHA safety credentials — demonstrate value to employers and position themselves for foreman or superintendent roles, which come with higher pay and year-round hours.

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

The figures on this page come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release. BLS surveys employers, so the data captures base wages reported through payroll. It does not include benefits, per diem, travel pay, or cash side work. Total compensation for many brickmasons in New Jersey runs higher than the wage figures alone suggest.