Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Also called Bricklayer Helper, Hod Carrier, Mason Assistant, or Mason Tender
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters do
You mix the mortar, cut the tile, and keep the bricklayer supplied, learning a trade by standing right next to it.
Brickmasons, stonemasons, and tile setters build walls, floors, and building fronts out of brick, block, stone, and tile. You are the person who keeps them working. You mix mortar (the wet paste that glues bricks together) and grout (the filler that goes between tiles), cut pieces to size with power saws or tile cutters, put up scaffolding (temporary platforms that let workers reach high spots), and carry the right materials to the right spot at the right time.
The job is physical and it moves fast. You are part of a small crew, so you talk with people often through the day: the mason you serve, other workers on site such as carpenters or plumbers, sometimes the supervisor. In between those moments you work on your own, mixing, hauling, scraping off extra grout, and cleaning tools and work areas so the next stage can start.
A day in the life
You show up early, pull on boots, gloves, glasses, and a hard hat, and check what the crew is setting today. You mix a batch of mortar to the right recipe, not too wet, and keep it coming before the mason runs out. You read the drawing or the numbered sequence and set stone or tile out ready for the mason. Mid morning you cut pieces to size on a wet saw (a power saw that sprays water to keep the blade cool and cut down dust), then help move scaffolding up a level. Afternoon might mean chipping out damaged tile, spreading grout with a trowel (a small flat hand tool), and sponging off the excess before it hardens. Much of this happens outdoors, in heat, cold, or wind.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like finishing a day with something built you can point at
- ✓Stay steady when a crew is racing a deadline
- ✓Keep tools, materials, and a work area orderly without being told
- ✓Want to learn a trade by working beside people who already know it
- ✓Are comfortable on your feet and using your hands all day
You might not like it if you…
- –Need a warm, dry, quiet place to work most days
- –Dislike heavy lifting, repetitive hauling, and constant standing
- –Want a field that is clearly expanding, since jobs in this role are projected to shrink 11.7% from 2025 to 2035 while all jobs grow 3.5%
- –Feel uneasy around saws, mixers, scaffolding, and chemicals
How people get in
- 1Finish high school if you can, though no formal educational credential is typically required to start.
- 2Build basic comfort with measuring, simple math, and hand and power tools, through a shop class, home projects, or general labor work.
- 3Apply to masonry or tile contractors, construction firms, or labor crews for helper jobs. These are sometimes advertised as mason tender or hod carrier, older names for the person who mixes and carries materials for a mason. Roughly 1,100 openings a year are projected nationally.
- 4Learn the job on site through short-term on-the-job training, working under an experienced mason.
- 5Get used to the safety side early: hard hat, eye protection, gloves, safe lifting, and safe scaffolding setup.
- 6Once you can mix, cut, and keep pace, ask about moving up toward brickmason, blockmason, or tile and stone setter work.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Helping
People who like teaching, caring for, and working closely with people.
Official task list
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters 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. (O*NET)
- 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.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Operation and Control
- Time Management
- Active Listening
What you'll need to know
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical
- Design
- Mathematics
- English Language
How much Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters make
The median pay for Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters in the U.S. is $47,550 a year ($22.86 an hour). Most earn between $36,230 and $70,080. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Washington ($76,180) and lowest in Louisiana ($31,740).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,390 | 70 |
| Arizona | $34,220 | — |
| Arkansas | $39,810 | 90 |
| California | $49,590 | 3,600 |
| Colorado | $49,980 | 230 |
| Connecticut | $59,080 | 430 |
| Delaware | $56,340 | 130 |
| District of Columbia | $41,430 | — |
| Florida | $40,160 | 750 |
| Hawaii | $61,020 | 50 |
| Idaho | $48,950 | 210 |
| Illinois | $41,530 | — |
| Indiana | $54,090 | 300 |
| Iowa | $59,220 | 60 |
| Kansas | $43,270 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $31,740 | 60 |
| Maryland | $35,840 | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $61,020 | 410 |
| Michigan | $45,540 | 240 |
| Missouri | $63,720 | 240 |
| Montana | $48,710 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $47,000 | 110 |
| Nevada | $44,720 | 460 |
| New Hampshire | $48,540 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $47,480 | 70 |
| New Mexico | $37,960 | — |
| New York | $62,020 | 890 |
| North Carolina | $39,230 | 690 |
| North Dakota | $50,120 | 50 |
| Ohio | $57,410 | 500 |
| Oklahoma | $39,970 | 90 |
| Oregon | $51,230 | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,930 | 90 |
| South Carolina | $36,180 | 30 |
| South Dakota | $49,150 | 100 |
| Tennessee | $49,560 | 200 |
| Texas | $39,630 | 880 |
| Utah | $50,100 | 370 |
| Vermont | $49,570 | 70 |
| Virginia | $43,960 | 600 |
| Washington | $76,180 | 150 |
| West Virginia | $37,870 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $59,390 | 140 |
| Wyoming | $48,070 | 30 |
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 47-3011.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 47-3011. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.