Brickmasons in the Charleston area earn a median of $48,690 a year, 23% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #138 of 150 metros for brickmason pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Myrtle Beach.
It's one of 5 South Carolina metros with published pay for this trade; see brickmasons across South Carolina.
Brickmason pay in Charleston at a glance
- Brickmasons in the Charleston, SC metro earn a median $48,690 a year ($23.41 an hour), #138 of 150 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $35,840 and $70,440.
- After local prices, that median buys what $48,226 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,731 a month, 43% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among brickmasons in Charleston.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for brickmasons here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.8%) and the population is growing faster than most (+10.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 744 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $110,531 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $65/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Charleston scorecard for brickmasons Our calculation
Grades compare Charleston 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 Charleston area went from $47,940 in 2020 to $48,690 in 2025, up 1.6%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -19.0% — 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 Charleston Our calculation
Prices in Charleston run 1% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $48,226 would in a typical place, ranking #147 of 149 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
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.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Charleston from this pay, local rent and prices.
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 Charleston ↗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 South Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in South Carolina is the South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for brickmasons.
Official South Carolina 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 SC metros for brickmasons
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreenvilleSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $49,730 | $53,324 | 60 |
| CharlestonSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $48,690 | $48,226 | 50 |
| ColumbiaSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $48,590 | $51,878 | 80 |
| SpartanburgSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $47,990 | $52,707 | 50 |
| Myrtle BeachSOUTH CAROLINA · SC | $47,220 | $50,426 | 50 |
See every metro in South Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Charleston area's unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just brickmasons), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.5% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Charleston area is 29 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 21% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 70% drive alone, 1% take transit and 16% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Charleston area's population grew 10.7% from 2020 to 2025 (803,468 → 889,263), ranking #29 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +72,328) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Charleston
The Charleston area has about 395,020 homes. 27% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 28% were built in 2010 or later. 70% of households own their home, and the median home value is $430,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Charleston are down 12% from 2021 to 2025 (8,282 → 7,287).
In 2025 the Charleston area approved permits for 7,287 new homes (5,799 single-family), or 8.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #39 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 744 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $110,531 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Charleston compares among the best cities to start a brickmason business.
They compete with 255 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 1,510 workers in total). 65% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Charleston Government data
In an average year, Charleston has 64 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), 22 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 74 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 90°F and winter nights 41°F. That matters for brickmasons: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Charleston International Airport, SC station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $48,690 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. 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 Charleston with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for brickmasonsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in CharlestonSee where it falls among local brickmasons, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolCharleston budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Charleston metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Charleston against every other metro for brickmasons. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.