Brickmasons in the Memphis area earn a median of $65,360 a year, 4% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #63 of 150 metros for brickmason salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Jonesboro.
It's one of 5 Tennessee metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide brickmason pay.
Brickmason pay in Memphis at a glance
- Brickmasons in the Memphis, TN metro earn a median $65,360 a year ($31.42 an hour), #63 of 150 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $48,680 and $76,870.
- After local prices, that median buys what $70,906 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,172 a month, 22% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for brickmasons here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and 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 shrinking (-0.4% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 1,404 one-person foundation, framing & exterior work businesses averaging $104,538 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $80/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Memphis scorecard for brickmasons Our calculation
Grades compare Memphis 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 Memphis area went from $49,060 in 2020 to $65,360 in 2025, up 33.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +6.3% — a real raise.
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 Memphis Our calculation
Prices in Memphis run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $70,906 would in a typical place, ranking #52 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 Memphis budget on this pay 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 Memphis ↗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 Tennessee Official source
The main state licensing office in Tennessee is the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. It can point you to the right license for brickmasons.
Official Tennessee 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 TN metros for brickmasons
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChattanoogaTENNESSEE · TN | $69,660 | $76,161 | 150 |
| NashvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $66,380 | $68,903 | 540 |
| MemphisTENNESSEE · TN | $65,360 | $70,906 | 90 |
| KnoxvilleTENNESSEE · TN | $64,090 | $69,235 | 70 |
| KingsportTENNESSEE · TN | $57,450 | $66,457 | 60 |
See every metro in Tennessee.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Memphis 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 6.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Memphis area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 11% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 76% drive alone, 0% take transit and 10% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Memphis area's population shrank 0.4% from 2020 to 2025 (1,346,138 → 1,341,412), ranking #308 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -14,343).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Memphis
The Memphis area has about 586,553 homes. 43% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. 60% of households own their home, and the median home value is $282,900.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Memphis are down 37% from 2021 to 2025 (5,205 → 3,298).
In 2025 the Memphis area approved permits for 3,298 new homes (3,082 single-family), or 2.5 per 1,000 residents, ranking #260 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 1,404 one-person businesses (no employees) in foundation, framing & exterior work, averaging $104,538 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Memphis compares among the best cities to start a brickmason business.
They compete with 204 foundation, framing & exterior work companies that have employees (about 3,279 workers in total). 52% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Memphis Government data
In an average year, Memphis has 72 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 2 at 100°F or more, 44 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 74 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 3 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 91°F and winter nights 35°F. That matters for brickmasons: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Memphis International Airport, TN 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 $65,360 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 Memphis with another city →
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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 MemphisSee where it falls among local brickmasons, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolMemphis budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Memphis 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 Memphis against every other metro for brickmasons. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.