How to become a Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setter

Official title: Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters

Also called: Bricklayer Apprentice, Bricklayer Helper, Helper, Hod Carrier, Marble Helper, Mason Apprentice, Mason Assistant, Mason Tender, Masonry Helper, Setter Apprentice

Help brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, or tile and marble setters by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

Main tasks

• Mix mortar, plaster, and grout, manually or using machines, according to standard formulas.
• Cut materials to specified sizes for installation, using power saws or tile cutters.
• Erect scaffolding or other installation structures.
• Locate and supply materials to masons for installation, following drawings or numbered sequences.
• Clean installation surfaces, equipment, tools, work sites, or storage areas, using water, chemical solutions, oxygen lances, or polishing machines.
• Apply grout between joints of bricks or tiles, using grouting trowels.
• Modify material moving, mixing, grouting, grinding, polishing, or cleaning procedures, according to installation or material requirements.
• Remove damaged tile, brick, or mortar, and clean or prepare surfaces, using pliers, hammers, chisels, drills, wire brushes, or metal wire anchors.

How to become one

Construction laborers and helpers learn on the job. Although formal education is not typically required, some employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Marble Finisher.
• Apprenticeship: Tile Finisher.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $47,550 a year The middle half earn $40,100 to $57,980.
• About 14,100 people work in this job now, and about 12,500 are projected by 2035. (-11.7%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Helpers--Carpenters
• Helpers--Electricians
• Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
• Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Helpers--Roofers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setter?

Construction laborers and helpers learn on the job. Although formal education is not typically required, some employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or the equivalent.

How much does a Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setter earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $47,550 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,100 to $57,980.

Is a Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setter a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 12% by 2035, from about 14,100 to about 12,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setter?

Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Marble Finisher.

Will AI change the work of a Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setter?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.