The Complete Guide to Becoming A Brickmason and Blockmason
Know exactly what brickmasons earn, how to get trained, and whether you're cut out for a career in masonry before you spend a dime on school
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Real pay, real training, real days on the job. Decide if masonry is your path before you commit.
About this book
You've heard trades pay well and can't be outsourced. But what does a brickmason actually do at 7 AM on a Tuesday? How long does it really take to become good enough to earn a living? And what happens to your body after 20 years? This guide answers those questions with specifics — not slogans.
Written like a career counselor who's actually walked a scaffold, this book walks you through the real job: laying brick and block, reading blueprints, working in weather, and the physical toll that comes with the craft. It gives you a self-assessment checklist to see if you're a fit, lays out every training path with real costs and timelines, and shows you actual salary ranges by experience level — not just "$50,000 per year" but the reality of entry-level, mid-career, and foreman pay across different regions.
You'll also get practical steps for landing your first job with zero experience, an hour-by-hour account of a typical workday, and clear-eyed chapters on career growth and the questions everyone asks before committing. This isn't a sales pitch for the industry — it's a decision-making tool for you.
Reader Reviews
John Hall
★★★★★The guide is solid but I found it a bit long in places. The salary info in Chapter 4 is the most useful part - I had no idea entry pay was that low on the coast. I appreciated that the author didn't try to sell me on masonry, but I also felt some sections repeated themselves. If you're dead set on the trade already, skim chapters 1 and 2. If you're on the fence, read everything.
Jonathan Nguyen
★★★★★Good balance of motivation and realism, which is rare for career books. Chapter 1 helped me understand what I'd actually be doing hour to hour, and the bit about mixing mortar by hand vs. with a machine stuck with me. The self-assessment checklist in Chapter 2 made me realize I'm not fit for this - and that's what I needed to know. Worth a read if you're considering the trade.
Donald Wright
★★★★★I've been doing CAD drafting for five years and thought masonry might be a way out. This guide gave me exactly what I needed: actual pay ranges for my city, a list of union apprenticeships I can start this spring, and the day-in-the-life chapter made me realize I could handle the physical work. The interview questions in Chapter 5 saved me - I walked in prepared and got a job offer. I would have been lost without this.