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What Construction Career options are there for someone in the Bricklaying trades?
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8 answers
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Christopher’s Answer
Consider exploring entrepreneurship. If you love starting new ideas, solving problems in creative ways, and taking charge, it might be perfect for you. While it can be challenging, it is also very rewarding, offering both ownership and flexibility.
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Anuj’s Answer
A background in bricklaying gives you an incredible foundation in structural logic, blueprint reading, and site dynamics. If you want to pivot or advance from laying brick, you have three major career paths:1. In-Trade Specializations (Higher Pay)Refractory Bricklayer: Specialize in installing heat-resistant bricks in industrial furnaces, kilns, and manufacturing plants. This is a highly technical, high-paying niche. Heritage Restoration Mason: Focus on repairing, preserving, and restoring historic or landmark buildings using traditional masonry techniques. 2. On-Site Leadership & ManagementBricklaying Foreperson / Site Supervisor: Step away from the trowel to manage a masonry crew, coordinate schedules, handle material deliveries, and enforce safety protocols.Building Inspector: Transition into evaluating structural integrity and ensuring construction sites comply with local building regulations and safety codes.3. Estimating & BusinessMasonry Estimator: Work in an office analyzing blueprints, calculating material/labor costs, and preparing bids for new projects.Subcontractor / Business Owner: Leverage your trade network to start your own masonry contracting company, managing your own clients and crews.
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Josie’s Answer
Hi Antwan! There are a ton of options if someone’s into bricklaying, there are actually quite a few career paths they can move into. They could stay hands-on and work as a bricklayer, blocklayer, stonemason, or restoration specialist, or they could build up experience and move into roles like foreman, site supervisor, estimator, or construction manager. It mostly depends on whether they want to keep working on the tools or move into more leadership and planning work later on. Bricklaying is a strong trade because it builds practical skills, accuracy, teamwork, and the ability to read plans — and those skills can open doors to other areas of construction too. So really, it can be the start of a pretty solid and flexible career.
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Guillermo’s Answer
Hello Antwon,
There are many construction or construction adjacent roles that pay well. If you are interested in wood working, carpentry is used in the construction of buildings - it can also be used to make other skilled works like cabinets, planter boxes, boats, and even large carvings. If metal work is your jam, welding is big (use eye protection please).
Construction adjacent roles are plumbing, hvac and electrical work. These do require either certifications from technical colleges OR working with an established professional and going the apprentice route.
Believe it or not there is actually a big gap between the work available and professionals able to do that work, I commend you for looking into a profession that fits your desired lifestyle AND is very much needed.
Thank you!
There are many construction or construction adjacent roles that pay well. If you are interested in wood working, carpentry is used in the construction of buildings - it can also be used to make other skilled works like cabinets, planter boxes, boats, and even large carvings. If metal work is your jam, welding is big (use eye protection please).
Construction adjacent roles are plumbing, hvac and electrical work. These do require either certifications from technical colleges OR working with an established professional and going the apprentice route.
Believe it or not there is actually a big gap between the work available and professionals able to do that work, I commend you for looking into a profession that fits your desired lifestyle AND is very much needed.
Thank you!
Updated
Steven’s Answer
Hi there! That's a fantastic question. Right now, construction trades are really in demand because there's a lot of new building happening, like data centers and energy projects. It's a great time to be in the construction field. I highly recommend looking into apprenticeship programs. They'll help you get the right certifications and offer financial benefits in the long run.
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Ishaq’s Answer
If you're in bricklaying, you've got a few solid career paths:
Bricklayer/Mason — stay in the trade and build walls, structures, and decorative masonry.
Stonemason — work with stone on buildings, repairs, and restoration.
Refractory bricklayer — install heat-resistant brick in furnaces and industrial sites.
Restoration mason — repair older buildings and historic masonry.
Foreman/Supervisor — lead a crew and manage the work on-site.
Estimator — price jobs and materials.
Masonry contractor — start and run your own business.
Bricklayer/Mason — stay in the trade and build walls, structures, and decorative masonry.
Stonemason — work with stone on buildings, repairs, and restoration.
Refractory bricklayer — install heat-resistant brick in furnaces and industrial sites.
Restoration mason — repair older buildings and historic masonry.
Foreman/Supervisor — lead a crew and manage the work on-site.
Estimator — price jobs and materials.
Masonry contractor — start and run your own business.
Great answer, and I would also add building inspector after you've learned enough about other trades, but mason is a good jump into the profession as a whole.
Roger Chance
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Harry’s Answer
I believe that bricklaying is a good construction trade because there are not many people who are selecting this career path which will leave a shortage. But to transition to another career path that could use those skills would be concrete construction. More specifically a concrete finisher. Needed and reasonable pay.
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Joseph’s Answer
In addition to working in your field, you can use your experience in contracting and estimating. Estimating projects, whether in architecture or general contracting, helps spot possible cost overruns and keeps a precise and conservative view of the actual costs.