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
★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviewsby Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
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
★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviewsby Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Real pay, real training, real days on the job. Decide if masonry is your path before you commit.
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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.