Lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block, and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers, and other structures.
U.S. Workers
53,520
Median Salary
$60,800
10-Year Growth
+3.2%
Annual Openings
5,600
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
14 of 14 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.
AI: Fully automatable - Laser levels, robotic total stations and AI-guided layout systems can fully measure distances and mark guidelines that were traditionally done with plumb bobs and levels.
Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.
AI: Fully automatable - Calculating angles and ensuring vertical/horizontal alignment is well within current AI/computer-vision and digital measurement tools' capabilities and can be fully automated.
Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.
AI: Fully automatable - Interpreting blueprints and calculating material requirements is a largely digital, rule-based task that AI and existing software can perform end-to-end.
Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.
AI: Fully automatable - Cleaning surfaces of loose debris and scale is a relatively low-skill, repetitive task that existing robotic systems and automation can perform reliably.
Examine brickwork or structure to determine need for repair.
AI: Fully automatable - Examining brickwork for repair needs is primarily a visual-inspection problem that computer vision and AI models can detect and prioritize with high accuracy.
Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures.
AI: Fully automatable - Mixing specified proportions of materials is a precise, repeatable process already automated by mixers and control systems that AI can fully manage.
Construct corners by fastening in plumb position a corner pole or building a corner pyramid of bricks, and filling in between the corners using a line from corner to corner to guide each course, or layer, of brick.
AI: Partial - Automated bricklaying systems exist but on-site corner construction, mortar control and adaptive infill between corners still require skilled human masons in most real-world contexts.
Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.
AI: Partial - Applying and smoothing mortar requires fine tactile control and adaptive manipulation on variable surfaces that AI-driven systems can do in controlled settings but not reliably across typical construction sites in 2025.
Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.
AI: Partial - Cutting bricks to size can be automated by stationary saws and CNC cutters in controlled environments, but on-site adaptive cutting by autonomous systems is only partially reliable in 2025.
Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.
AI: Partial - Removing excess mortar and finishing joints requires nuanced hand finishing and tactile judgement that AI/robots can sometimes approximate but cannot consistently match across real-world variability.
Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.
AI: Partial - Fastening or fusing materials involves diverse tools, contexts, and safety-critical adjustments that limit full automation to specific, controlled use cases as of 2025.
Lay and align bricks, blocks, or tiles to build or repair structures or high temperature equipment, such as cupola, kilns, ovens, or furnaces.
AI: Partial - Robotic bricklayers and AI planning can lay and align many bricks/blocks/tiles but complex sites, repairs, and high‑temperature linings still require skilled human judgment and intervention.
Remove burned or damaged brick or mortar, using sledgehammer, crowbar, chipping gun, or chisel.
AI: Partial - Removing burned or damaged brick requires forceful, context-sensitive demolition and careful judgment to avoid collateral damage, so automation is partial and situational in 2025.
Spray or spread refractory material over brickwork to protect against deterioration.
AI: Partial - Automated spraying/gunning and robotic applicators can apply refractory materials in controlled conditions, but variable surfaces, tooling access, and material nuances keep human specialists involved.