Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Also called: Bricklayer Helper, Hod Carrier, Mason Assistant, Mason TenderHelp brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, or tile and marble setters by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
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What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 15 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 11.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 11.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Helpers, construction trades”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 98% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,390 | $34,520 to $42,690 | 70 |
| Arizona | $34,220 | $31,490 to $36,680 | not published |
| Arkansas | $39,810 | $32,170 to $45,260 | 90 |
| California | $49,590 | $46,430 to $59,000 | 3,600 |
| Colorado | $49,980 | $48,890 to $56,940 | 230 |
| Connecticut | $59,080 | $46,800 to $74,930 | 430 |
| Delaware | $56,340 | $46,430 to $62,400 | 130 |
| District of Columbia | $41,430 | $41,430 to $41,540 | not published |
| Florida | $40,160 | $36,320 to $50,190 | 750 |
| Hawaii | $61,020 | $52,800 to $65,330 | 50 |
| Idaho | $48,950 | $46,960 to $53,290 | 210 |
| Illinois | $41,530 | $41,530 to $41,530 | not published |
| Indiana | $54,090 | $38,470 to $62,240 | 300 |
| Iowa | $59,220 | $49,500 to $65,420 | 60 |
| Kansas | $43,270 | $39,180 to $48,160 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $31,740 | $29,030 to $41,310 | 60 |
| Maryland | $35,840 | $33,290 to $38,060 | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $61,020 | $52,500 to $65,920 | 410 |
| Michigan | $45,540 | $43,010 to $48,910 | 240 |
| Missouri | $63,720 | $54,030 to $76,200 | 240 |
| Montana | $48,710 | $44,320 to $59,820 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $47,000 | $46,770 to $48,780 | 110 |
| Nevada | $44,720 | $40,100 to $46,020 | 460 |
| New Hampshire | $48,540 | $45,760 to $51,990 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $47,480 | $45,110 to $54,160 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $37,960 | $36,580 to $47,380 | not published |
| New York | $62,020 | $49,880 to $94,120 | 890 |
| North Carolina | $39,230 | $36,240 to $44,720 | 690 |
| North Dakota | $50,120 | $43,550 to $54,780 | 50 |
| Ohio | $57,410 | $42,080 to $67,660 | 500 |
| Oklahoma | $39,970 | $29,760 to $42,210 | 90 |
| Oregon | $51,230 | $46,710 to $63,960 | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,930 | $55,900 to $61,380 | 90 |
| South Carolina | $36,180 | $27,240 to $45,330 | 30 |
| South Dakota | $49,150 | $38,680 to $49,990 | 100 |
| Tennessee | $49,560 | $39,780 to $54,380 | 200 |
| Texas | $39,630 | $38,270 to $44,420 | 880 |
| Utah | $50,100 | $44,270 to $60,520 | 370 |
| Vermont | $49,570 | $49,570 to $55,130 | 70 |
| Virginia | $43,960 | $38,240 to $48,230 | 600 |
| Washington | $76,180 | $63,200 to $99,640 | 150 |
| West Virginia | $37,870 | $35,090 to $40,100 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $59,390 | $53,340 to $81,040 | 140 |
| Wyoming | $48,070 | $46,620 to $57,920 | 30 |
Nationally: $47,550. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on none of its 15 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Mix mortar, plaster, and grout, manually or using machines, according to standard formulas. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut materials to specified sizes for installation, using power saws or tile cutters. | Not published |
| Not much | Erect scaffolding or other installation structures. | Not published |
| Not much | Locate and supply materials to masons for installation, following drawings or numbered sequences. | Not published |
| Not much | Modify material moving, mixing, grouting, grinding, polishing, or cleaning procedures, according to installation or material requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove damaged tile, brick, or mortar, and clean or prepare surfaces, using pliers, hammers, chisels, drills, wire brushes, or metal wire anchors. | Not published |
See all 15 tasks
| Not much | Arrange or store materials, machines, tools, or equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean installation surfaces, equipment, tools, work sites, or storage areas, using water, chemical solutions, oxygen lances, or polishing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Transport materials, tools, or machines to installation sites, manually or using conveyance equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide assistance in the preparation, installation, repair, or rebuilding of tile, brick, or stone surfaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply grout between joints of bricks or tiles, using grouting trowels. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove excess grout or residue from tile or brick joints, using sponges or trowels. | Not published |
| Not much | Correct surface imperfections or fill chipped, cracked, or broken bricks or tiles, using fillers, adhesives, or grouting materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply caulk, sealants, or other agents to installed surfaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Move or position materials such as marble slabs, using cranes, hoists, or dollies. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 15 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 15 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform general construction or extraction activities | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings |
Show all 12 activities
| Cut materials | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 285 moves in
- 1 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters Moderate +6.8% 12%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers Moderate +5.0% 11%
- 3 Medical Records and Health Information Technicians (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 4 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 7%
- 5 Stockers and Order Fillers Moderate +8.9% 6%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 24% less than high school
- 58% high school
- 12% postsecondary certificate
- 6% professional doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 30% less than high school
- 47% high school
- 17% some college
- 1% associate's
- 3% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Helpers, construction trades” · 300 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Helpers, construction trades”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (MARBLE FINISHER; TILE FINISHER). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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