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What does a brick mason do?

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
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Brick mason responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real brick mason resumes:

  • Manage and run small crew to complete jobs.
  • Demonstrate ability to use hoes, trowels, tampers, scrappers, and concrete mixing machines professional and safe manner.
  • Fill expansion joints with the appropriate caulking materials.
  • Carpenter, masonry, framing, bricklaying, plastering, drywall, door ...
  • Certify in bricklaying, tile setting, terrazzo, marble, cement, etc.
  • Mix and apply plastering material to walls, ceilings, tape sheet rock and repair damaged sheet rock walls.
  • Employ a wide variety of hand and power tools including hoists, drills, precision measuring instruments and electronic devices.
  • Ensure the historical integrity of properties through application of masonry techniques and detail cosmetic repairs.
  • Apply and smooth mortar and other mixture over work surface and remove excess, using trowel and hand tools.
  • Assist with all maintaining work involving pointing, plaster patching, floor and wall tiling.
  • Repair and/or replace foundations in various parts of Shreveport/Bossier.

Brick mason skills and personality traits

We calculated that 20% of Brick Masons are proficient in Safety Procedures, Reference Points, and Structural Tile. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Dexterity, and Physical strength.

We break down the percentage of Brick Masons that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Safety Procedures, 20%

    Set up scaffolding and safety procedures.

  • Reference Points, 11%

    Calculated distances between reference points to ensure that bricks were laid and aligned in accurate positions.

  • Structural Tile, 8%

    Installed and repaired solid bricks, hollow concrete blocks, structural tiles, natural and artificial stone and prefabricated masonry panels.

  • Construction Sites, 5%

    Operated heavy equipment on construction sites, including dump trucks, backhoes, bobcats, and front-end loaders.

  • Retaining Walls, 5%

    Constructed block and/or brick catch basin, drops inlets, retaining walls, support structures, etc.

  • Trowels, 5%

    Applied and smoothed mortar and other mixture over work surface and remove excess, using trowel and hand tools.

Common skills that a brick mason uses to do their job include "safety procedures," "reference points," and "structural tile." You can find details on the most important brick mason responsibilities below.

Color vision. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a brick mason to have is color vision. Their role and responsibilities require that "masonry workers need to be able to distinguish between small variations in color when setting terrazzo patterns in order to produce the best looking finish." Brick masons often use color vision in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "started reo/short sale division for mason mcduffie real estate. "

Dexterity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling brick mason duties is dexterity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "masonry workers must be able to place bricks, stones, and other materials with precision." According to a brick mason resume, here's how brick masons can utilize dexterity in their job responsibilities: "dig trenches, pour concrete, operate forklift to transport materials and equipment. "

Physical strength. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of brick masons is physical strength. This skill is critical to many everyday brick mason duties, as "masonry workers should be able to lift more than 50 pounds." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "perform tasks involving physical labor at buildings and heavy construction sites. "

See the full list of brick mason skills

The three companies that hire the most brick masons are:

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Compare different brick masons

Brick mason vs. Mason apprentice

We looked at the average brick mason salary and compared it with the wages of a mason apprentice. Generally speaking, mason apprentices are paid $4,173 lower than brick masons per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both brick mason and mason apprentice positions are skilled in reference points, retaining walls, and trowels.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between brick masons and mason apprentice. For instance, brick mason responsibilities require skills such as "safety procedures," "structural tile," "construction sites," and "plumb bobs." Whereas a mason apprentice is skilled in "masonry," "scaffolding," "rebar," and "safety protocol." This is part of what separates the two careers.

On average, mason apprentices reach similar levels of education than brick masons. Mason apprentices are 0.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Brick mason vs. Refractory bricklayer

Refractory bricklayer positions earn lower pay than brick mason roles. They earn a $4,596 lower salary than brick masons per year.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, brick mason responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "reference points," "structural tile," "construction sites," and "retaining walls." Meanwhile, a refractory bricklayer has duties that require skills in areas such as "osha," "hand tools," "fall protection," and "space training." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Refractory bricklayers tend to reach similar levels of education than brick masons. In fact, they're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Brick mason vs. Bricklayer apprentice

An average bricklayer apprentice eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of brick masons. The difference in salaries amounts to bricklayer apprentices earning a $750 lower average salary than brick masons.Using the responsibilities included on brick masons and bricklayer apprentices resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "reference points," "construction sites," and "trowels.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from brick mason resumes include skills like "safety procedures," "structural tile," "retaining walls," and "plumb bobs," whereas a bricklayer apprentice is more likely to list skills in "safety regulations," "scaffolding," "building materials," and "sponges. "

Bricklayer apprentices typically earn similar educational levels compared to brick masons. Specifically, they're 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Brick mason vs. Stone mason

Stone masons tend to earn a higher pay than brick masons by an average of $1,731 per year.While their salaries may vary, brick masons and stone masons both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "construction sites," "retaining walls," and "trowels. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A brick mason uses "safety procedures," "reference points," "structural tile," and "plumb bobs." Stone masons are more likely to have duties that require skills in "hand tools," "customer service," "bobcat," and "mixes. "stone masons reach similar levels of education compared to brick masons, in general. The difference is that they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of brick mason

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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