Entry level wages may be lower. Bricklayers can lose work time because of bad weather or downturns in construction activity. Thus, their overall earnings may be lower than these wages suggest. Pay varies with the employer and the type of job. Union workers often earn higher wages.
Apprentices generally earn about half the wage of skilled bricklayers.
As apprentices gain experience and skills, they receive higher pay. Bricklayers may need to provide their own health insurance and retirement plan. Those who are self-employed or work for small companies rarely receive benefits. There were 3,280 people employed as bricklayers, or brickmasons, in Indiana in 1998. An additional 260 people were employed as stonemasons and 1,550 people were employed as brick and stonemason helpers.