jobfacts

Bricklayer

Bricklayers — SOC 2020 5313

Bricklayers erect and repair brick, pre-cut stone and concrete block structures such as walls, paving, chimney stacks and tunnel lining using traditional and modern methods.

Also calledMasonBrickieMould brickerLadles brickerPointerBrick pointerand 42 more titles
Typical full-time pay£33,0002025 Provisional
People in the job49,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month366↓ 20%on last year · 294th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time bricklayers earn, 2025
£33,000 typical£26,400lowest 20%£28,10025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£26,400
25%£28,100
Median£33,000
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
More than half (71%) of bricklayers work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed bricklayers earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £33,000
South East!£39,200
West Midlands!£34,700
East Midlands!£32,700
Scotland!£32,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£29,100
London!£24,400
North EastNot published by ONS–
North WestNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £33,000
South East£39,200 (small sample)
West Midlands£34,700 (small sample)
East Midlands£32,700 (small sample)
Scotland£32,300 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£29,100 (small sample)
London£24,400 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
North WestNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,900
  • 2024 £30,500
  • 2025 Provisional£33,000
↑ 6.8% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 366 jobs for bricklayers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026378
Jul 2026452
Jun 2026380
May 2026358
Apr 2026352
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026322
Jan 2026379
Dec 2025100
Nov 2025318
Oct 2025389
Sept 2025593
Aug 2025572
Jul 2025661
Jun 2025604
May 2025581
Apr 2025399
Mar 2025515
Feb 2025494
Jan 2025368
Dec 2024164
Nov 2024245
Oct 2024480
Sept 2024478
Aug 2024516
Jul 2024541
Jun 2024488
May 2024538
Apr 2024330
Mar 2024225
Feb 2024235
Jan 2024230
Dec 2023133
Nov 2023127
Oct 2023248
Sept 2023217
Aug 2023238
Jul 2023315
Jun 2023520
May 2023494
Apr 2023418
Mar 2023379
Feb 2023401
Jan 2023477
Dec 2022246
Nov 2022405
Oct 2022555
Sept 2022584
Aug 2022678
Jul 2022573
Jun 2022624
May 2022644
Apr 2022415
Mar 2022626
Feb 2022620
Jan 2022760
Dec 2021481
Nov 2021525
Oct 2021625
Sept 2021831
Aug 2021792
Jul 20211,008
Jun 2021943
May 20211,117
Apr 20211,124
Mar 20211,510
Feb 20211,442
Jan 20211,078
Dec 2020488
Nov 2020604
Oct 2020801
Sept 2020884
Aug 2020823
Jul 2020502
Jun 2020345
May 2020181
Apr 2020172
Mar 2020407
Feb 2020547
Jan 2020472
Dec 2019275
Nov 2019337
Oct 2019609
Sept 2019667
Aug 2019769
Jul 2019751
Jun 2019763
May 2019950
Apr 2019506
Mar 2019644
Feb 2019589
Jan 2019660
Dec 2018271
Nov 2018570
Oct 2018701
Sept 2018708
Aug 2018710
Jul 2018802
Jun 2018888
May 2018953
Apr 2018887
Mar 2018974
Feb 2018823
Jan 2018966
Dec 2017375
Nov 2017726
Oct 2017867
Sept 2017947
Aug 20171,211
Jul 20171,295
Jun 20171,592
May 20171,402
Apr 20171,434
Mar 20171,668
Feb 20171,249
Jan 2017961
Is there a shortage of bricklayers?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
46%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for construction and building trades, which includes bricklayers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London146
Leeds21
Bristol, City of17
Birmingham16
Cambridge16
Manchester16
North Yorkshire16
Oxford15
Somerset15
Buckinghamshire14
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where bricklayers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 23 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, Pakistan, Philippines, ranking it 172nd of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of bricklayers
16%!
17%!
20%!
22%!
15%!
10%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2416% (small sample)
25–3417% (small sample)
35–4420% (small sample)
45–5422% (small sample)
55–6415% (small sample)
65+10% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!2.9%
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent51%
GCSEs or equivalent25%
Other qualifications!8.1%
No qualifications!11%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent2.9% (small sample)
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent51%
GCSEs or equivalent25%
Other qualifications8.1% (small sample)
No qualifications11% (small sample)

Main employers: construction of residential and non-residential buildings (57%), other specialised construction activities nec (26%), development of building projects (4.5%), joinery installation (2.8%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
2.9%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 51%
Apprenticeships
2
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 2 years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds
Self-employed
71%
of people in the job

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

College

You can take a college course like:

  • basic construction skills
  • bricklaying
  • T Level in On Site Construction

These courses teach you some of the skills you'll need to find a trainee bricklayer job with a construction company.

Some colleges and private training organisations may offer short or part-time bricklaying 'taster' courses. These may be of help to you if you're thinking of a change in career.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Onsite Trades Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
  • Bricklaying Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Craft Bricklaying Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More about this route
Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • are in care or have been in care
  • are in prison or have been in prison

Work your way up

You could start as a construction site labourer or hod carrier, with a bricklaying team or 'gang', and do training on the job to become a bricklayer.

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you'll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card or equivalent to train and work on a construction site
Further information

You can find out more about becoming a bricklayer from Go Construct and House Building Careers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for bricklayer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Onsite trades foundation apprenticeshipFoundation apprenticeship2
Onsite constructionT Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings, photographs and specifications to determine job requirements
  • measures construction site and lays out the first lines of bricks to mark position of walls
  • mixes and spreads mortar on foundations and bricks
  • places, levels and aligns bricks in mortar bed and walls
  • uses hand and power tools to shape and trim bricks

Skills

  • check straightness of brick
  • finish mortar joints
  • follow health and safety procedures in construction
  • follow safety procedures when working at heights
  • inspect construction supplies
  • install construction profiles
  • interpret 2D plans
  • interpret 3D plans
  • lay bricks
  • mix construction grouts
  • secure working area
  • snap chalk line
  • sort waste
  • split bricks

Knowledge

  • building codes

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled construction and building trades, a group of 12 jobs that includes bricklayers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 1.5%about 14,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035374,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.