How to become a Bricklayer

Official title: Bricklayers

Also called: Bricklayer, Box builder, Range fixer, Block layer, Brick layer, Ladle liner, Trumpet man, Brick archer, Oven builder, Boiler fixer, Oven patcher, Block setter

Bricklayers erect and repair brick, pre-cut stone and concrete block structures such as walls, paving, chimney stacks and tunnel lining using traditional and modern methods.

Main tasks

• Examines drawings, photographs and specifications to determine job requirements
• Measures construction site and lays out the first lines of bricks to mark position of walls
• Mixes and spreads mortar on foundations and bricks
• Places, levels and aligns bricks in mortar bed and walls
• Uses hand and power tools to shape and trim bricks

How to become one

There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Bricklayer (level 2). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0095.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £33,030 a year The middle half earn £28,106 to null.
• About 45,600 people work in this job now, and about 42,800 are projected by 2035. (-6.1%)

Related jobs

• Steel erectors
• Stonemasons and related trades
• Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
• Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers
• Carpenters and joiners
• Glaziers, window fabricators and fitters

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Bricklayer?

There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.

How much does a Bricklayer earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £33,030 a year (Office for National Statistics).

Is a Bricklayer a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 45,600 to about 42,800 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a Bricklayer?

Usually not. Only 3% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Bricklayer (level 2).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03