💡 Why it matters: Homes, schools and offices all start with skilled hands laying blocks and finishing walls. Experienced masons often become site foremen or contractors.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Nigeria needs millions of homes, and every one starts with skilled hands laying blocks.
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 1% from 2025 to 2035, slower than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦500k – ₦1.4M
- Mid-career
- ₦1.6M – ₦4M
- Senior
- ₦4M – ₦10M
≈ ₦133k – ₦333k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Masonry workers. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Lay blocks and bricks in straight neat lines
- Mix and pour concrete and mortar
- Plaster, tile and finish walls and floors
- Read plans and set out foundations
- Work safely at heights and with machines
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Hands-on skill
- Physical fitness
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Maths
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Apprenticeship on a building site
- Trade test certification, then foreman or contractor path
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Start as a labourer on a site and train on the job
- Apprenticeship with a building firm
🇺🇸 United States
- Start as a mason's helper
- Contractor-run training programmes
🇨🇦 Canada
- Registered apprenticeship through your province, ending in the Red Seal exam
- Start as a mason's helper
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Start as a helper on a building site
- 2Learn bricklaying and finishing skills
- 3Complete a trade test or technical college course
- 4Become a foreman who manages a team
- 5Take on your own projects or contracts
⏰ A day in the life
You start early on site, setting string lines for the wall. You lay a course of blocks, check each with a spirit level and later plaster a finished wall so it feels smooth.