Skilled Wages

Brickmason salary in Illinois

Median $43.26 an hour for 2,490 brickmasons, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$43.26/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$89,980/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.69 – $52.7310th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,490Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Brickmason pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIllinois: 10th $22.69 · 25th $30.02 · median $43.26 · 75th $49.16 · 90th $52.73Illinois$43.26$22.69$52.73United States: 10th $21.55 · 25th $24.57 · median $29.87 · 75th $38.15 · 90th $48.08United States$29.87
Hourly wage percentiles for brickmasons: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

Illinois ranks 3rd of 50 states for median brickmason pay, and 2nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $43.26). 2,490 brickmasons work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.3× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.69 – $30.02$47,200 – $62,450roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$30.02 – $49.16$62,450 – $102,260the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$49.16 – $52.73$102,260 – $109,670the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Brickmason pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrChicago: $43.26Chicago$43.26Champaign: $40.02Champaign$40.02Rockford: $37.54Rockford$37.54St. Louis: $37.26St. Louis$37.26
Median hourly wage for brickmasons by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Chicago$22.58$43.26$41.76$52.822,140about the same as
Champaign$21.56$40.02$43.17$50.88407% below
Rockford$21.33$37.54$40.72$51.464013% below
St. Louis$23.25$37.26$39.18$42.481,07014% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Brickmason wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$43.26Illinois$29.87United States
Median hourly wage for brickmasons, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$29.19$56.41$19.368,600
2000$29.10$54.41$19.378,840
2001$28.21$51.28$20.008,930
2002$27.33$48.91$20.116,900
2003$27.00$47.24$19.986,420
2004$25.95$44.23$20.075,870
2005$28.02$46.19$20.136,920
2006$29.47$47.06$20.667,600
2007$31.56$49.00$21.197,870
2008$34.31$51.30$21.946,630
2009$35.03$52.57$22.475,420
2010$35.91$53.02$22.564,020
2011$34.28$49.06$22.503,380
2012$32.13$45.05$22.332,780
2013$32.08$44.33$22.413,130
2014$36.04$49.01$22.913,180
2015$36.98$50.23$23.053,360
2016$39.24$52.64$23.682,860
2017$33.89$44.51$23.932,490
2018$40.42$51.82$24.492,840
2019$41.87$52.73$25.532,810
2020$43.40$53.99$26.482,820
2021$40.14$47.69$28.533,500
2022$40.63$44.70$28.373,570
2023$40.37$42.65$28.673,160
2024$41.51$42.60$29.232,850
2025$43.26$43.26$29.872,490

In today's dollars, the median brickmason wage in Illinois changed by -13.9% over the last ten years of data and by -18.0% since 2019.

Are there more brickmason jobs in Illinois?

0.4Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.2× the US share, 15th of 49 states

BLS counted 2,490 brickmasons in Illinois in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 9%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for brickmasons in Illinois

+3.4%Projected growth in Illinois2024–2034, state agency
350Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
4,610Jobs in 20244,770 projected for 2034
+1.1%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of brickmasons in the state to change by +3.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 4,610 to 4,770, with about 350 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +1.1% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,490 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for brickmasons in Illinois

On federally funded construction in Illinois, contractors must pay brickmasons at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 101 of the 101 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $58.42 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $43.26.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ILAdams: $58.42 (union)Alexander: $58.42 (union)Bond: $58.42 (union)Boone: $58.42 (union)Brown: $58.42 (union)Bureau: $58.42 (union)Calhoun: $58.42 (union)Carroll: $58.42 (union)Cass: $58.42 (union)Champaign: $58.42 (union)Christian: $58.42 (union)Clark: $58.42 (union)Clay: $58.42 (union)Clinton: $58.42 (union)Coles: $58.42 (union)Cook: $71.50 (union)Crawford: $58.42 (union)Cumberland: $58.42 (union)DeKalb: $58.42 (union)De Witt: $58.42 (union)Douglas: $58.42 (union)DuPage: $82.61 (union)Edgar: $58.42 (union)Edwards: $58.42 (union)Effingham: $58.42 (union)Fayette: $58.42 (union)Ford: $58.42 (union)Franklin: $58.42 (union)Fulton: $58.42 (union)Gallatin: $58.42 (union)Greene: $58.42 (union)Grundy: $82.61 (union)Hamilton: $58.42 (union)Hancock: $58.42 (union)Hardin: $58.42 (union)Henderson: $58.42 (union)Henry: $58.42 (union)Iroquois: $58.42 (union)Jackson: $58.42 (union)Jasper: $58.42 (union)Jefferson: $58.42 (union)Jersey: $58.42 (union)Jo Daviess: $58.42 (union)Johnson: $58.42 (union)Kane: $82.61 (union)Kankakee: $64.77 (union)Kendall: $82.61 (union)Knox: $58.42 (union)Lake: $82.61 (union)LaSalle: $58.42 (union)Lawrence: $58.42 (union)Lee: $58.42 (union)Livingston: $58.42 (union)Logan: $58.42 (union)McDonough: $58.42 (union)McHenry: $82.61 (union)McLean: $58.42 (union)Macon: n/aMacoupin: $58.42 (union)Madison: $55.18 (union)Marion: $58.42 (union)Marshall: $58.42 (union)Mason: $58.42 (union)Massac: $58.42 (union)Menard: $58.42 (union)Mercer: $58.42 (union)Monroe: $58.42 (union)Montgomery: $58.42 (union)Morgan: $58.42 (union)Moultrie: $58.42 (union)Ogle: $58.42 (union)Peoria: $61.30 (union)Perry: $58.42 (union)Piatt: $58.42 (union)Pike: $58.42 (union)Pope: $58.42 (union)Pulaski: $58.42 (union)Putnam: $58.42 (union)Randolph: $58.42 (union)Richland: $58.42 (union)Rock Island: $58.42 (union)St. Clair: $55.18 (union)Saline: $58.42 (union)Sangamon: $58.42 (union)Schuyler: $58.42 (union)Scott: $58.42 (union)Shelby: $58.42 (union)Stark: $58.42 (union)Stephenson: $58.42 (union)Tazewell: $61.30 (union)Union: $58.42 (union)Vermilion: $58.42 (union)Wabash: $58.42 (union)Warren: $58.42 (union)Washington: $58.42 (union)Wayne: $58.42 (union)White: $58.42 (union)Whiteside: $58.42 (union)Will: $82.61 (union)Williamson: $58.42 (union)Winnebago: $58.42 (union)Woodford: $58.42 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$58.42n/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for brickmasons by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$40$60$80$100/hrDuPage (Chicago): market median $43.26, prevailing (union) $82.61, gap +$39.35DuPage (Chicago)+$39.35Kankakee (Illinois): market median $43.26, prevailing (union) $64.77, gap +$21.51Kankakee (Illinois)+$21.51Bond (St. Louis): market median $37.26, prevailing (union) $58.42, gap +$21.16Bond (St. Louis)+$21.16Boone (Rockford): market median $37.54, prevailing (union) $58.42, gap +$20.88Boone (Rockford)+$20.88Champaign (Champaign): market median $40.02, prevailing (union) $58.42, gap +$18.40Champaign (Champaign)+$18.40
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for brickmasons, metro counties in Illinois.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DuPageUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
GrundyUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
KaneUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
KendallUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
LakeUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
McHenryUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
WillUnion BRIL0014-001 2021-06-01$48.56$34.05$82.61IL20260008
CookUnion BRIL0021-001 2016-06-01$44.88$26.62$71.50IL20260009
KankakeeUnion BRIL0006-016 2017-06-01$42.98$21.79$64.77IL20260006
PeoriaUnion BRIL0006-006 2021-06-01$36.83$24.47$61.30IL20260003
TazewellUnion BRIL0006-006 2021-06-01$36.83$24.47$61.30IL20260003
AdamsUnion BRIL0008-010 2020-05-01$33.49$24.93$58.42IL20260001
AlexanderUnion BRIL0008-020 2020-05-01$33.49$24.93$58.42IL20260002
BondUnion BRIL0008-010 2020-05-01$33.49$24.93$58.42IL20260001
BooneUnion BRIL0008-010 2020-05-01$33.49$24.93$58.42IL20260001

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Illinois prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Illinois?

268.8kConstruction jobsIllinois, 2026-09
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025269kSep 2026
Construction employment in Illinois (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Brickmason pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

More on Illinois

Questions this page answers

How much do brickmasons make in Illinois?

The median brickmason in Illinois earned $43.26 an hour ($89,980 a year) in May 2025, 45% above the national median of $29.87. The middle half earn $30.02–$49.16; the top 10% earn more than $52.73.

Where does Illinois rank for brickmason pay?

Illinois ranks 3rd of 50 states for brickmason pay, with a median of $43.26 an hour, and 2nd after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union brickmason rate in Illinois?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for brickmasons in 101 counties, with a typical package of $58.42 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many brickmasons work in Illinois?

BLS counted 2,490 brickmasons in Illinois in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.21; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is brickmason work growing in Illinois?

Illinois's labor market agency projects +3.4% growth for brickmasons between 2024 and 2034, from 4,610 to 4,770 jobs.

How many brickmason openings a year are there in Illinois?

Illinois projects about 350 openings a year for brickmasons over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 4,100 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 47-2021. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.