Brickmasons in the Reading area earn a median of $69,990 a year, 11% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #52 of 150 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, but less in Lancaster.
It's one of 9 Pennsylvania metros with published pay for this trade; see brickmason pay in Pennsylvania.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for brickmasons here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and also above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.4%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 333 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $98,985 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $84/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Reading scorecard for brickmasons Our calculation
Grades compare Reading with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($62,950).
Pay over time
The median pay for brickmasons in the Reading area went from $56,980 in 2020 to $69,990 in 2025, up 22.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -2.0% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Reading Our calculation
Prices in Reading run 3% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $72,110 would in a typical place, ranking #47 of 149 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What brickmasons do
Lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block, and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances, to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers, and other structures.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.
- Construct corners by fastening in plumb position a corner pole or building a corner pyramid of bricks, and filling in between the corners using a line from corner to corner to steer each course, or layer, of brick.
- Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.
- Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.
- Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, brickmason jobs are projected to grow 1.1% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 4,100 openings a year. About 18% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often brickmasons deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most brickmasons train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings near Reading ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for brickmasons.
Official Pennsylvania licensing site ↗
Requirements for brickmasons vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, brickmasons have 131 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.5× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying PA metros for brickmasons
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AltoonaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $92,010 | $102,796 | 70 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $76,940 | $81,271 | 590 |
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $75,970 | $74,078 | 1,210 |
| HarrisburgPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $72,730 | $73,725 | 80 |
| ReadingPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $69,990 | $72,110 | 90 |
| LancasterPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $63,430 | $64,555 | 350 |
| AllentownPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $62,400 | $62,420 | 100 |
| YorkPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $60,140 | $62,646 | 60 |
| EriePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $58,740 | $64,585 | 40 |
See every metro in Pennsylvania.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Reading area's unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just brickmasons), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Reading area is 26 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 16% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 1% take transit and 10% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Reading area's population grew 2.7% from 2020 to 2025 (428,651 → 440,072), ranking #187 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +10,765) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Reading
The Reading area has about 172,255 homes. 64% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 5% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 71% of households own their home, and the median home value is $281,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Reading are up 18% from 2021 to 2025 (493 → 582).
In 2025 the Reading area approved permits for 582 new homes (335 single-family), or 1.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #342 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 333 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $98,985 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 116 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 802 workers in total). 69% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $69,990 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get brickmason pricing & estimate templates →Compare Reading with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.