Occupation Profile

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

(SOC Code : 47-2021)

in California

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. Exclude "Stonemasons" (47-2022). Classify installers of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units in "Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers" (37-3011).

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Long-term on-the-job training (> 12 months) .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$28.56	$20.21	$28.27	$36.38

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	5,200	6,500	1,300	25.0	240

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

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License Title

License Authority

Masonry Contractor

Department of Consumer Affairs
Contractors State License Board
License Information Center
www.cslb.ca.gov

About Licenses

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Building Foundation/Exterior Contractors

10,040

57.8%

Residential Building Construction

22,021

4.4%

Nonresidential Building Construction

16,804

2.9%

Other Specialty Trade Contractors

14,281

1.5%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Mason/Masonry

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.

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 guide each course, or layer, of brick.

Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.

Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.

Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.

Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.

Lay and align bricks, blocks, or tiles to build or repair structures or high temperature equipment, such as cupola, kilns, ovens, or furnaces.

Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.

Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures.

Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without `giving out` or fatiguing.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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Alternate Titles

Adobe Layers; Blocklayers; Bricklayers; Masons