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Block and tile laying workers

How to become a Blocklayer

Also called: Building blocklayer, Block mason

Lays concrete building blocks with mortar and reinforcing bars to build walls, fences and buildings.

Workers in this job say high school or less than high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. Most people join a blocklaying company after leaving school, start as an apprentice and learn the work step by step. Some train at a public vocational training school before starting. Blocklaying is skills-based work done in fairly small teams, so once you have the skills you can set up on your own quite early. Some people go out on their own after about three years. Most of the work is done by hand and needs close attention to detail, as well as the strength to carry fairly heavy loads again and again. Related qualifications include the block building exam in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's ginou kentei (national trade skills test) and the concrete block construction worker qualification from an industry body.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Blocklayer?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. Most people join a blocklaying company after leaving school, start as an apprentice and learn the work step by step. Some train at a public vocational training school before starting. Blocklaying is skills-based work done in fairly small teams, so once you have the skills you can set up on your own quite early. Some people go out on their own after about three years. Most of the work is done by hand and needs close attention to detail, as well as the strength to carry fairly heavy loads again and again. Related qualifications include the block building exam in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's ginou kentei (national trade skills test) and the concrete block construction worker qualification from an industry body.

How much does a Blocklayer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,668,700 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other construction workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Blocklayer?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 6% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of a Blocklayer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026