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Masonry

Types of Degrees Masonry Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Masonry may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	87
Associate’s Degree	42
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	248

What Masonry Majors Need to Know

Programs in Masonry build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Masonry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Masonry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Masonry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Masonry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Visualization — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Masonry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Masonry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Salesforce software	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Masonry graduates include:

• Marble Installer
• Marble Setter
• Mason
• Acoustical Material Worker
• Ceramic Tile Mechanic
• Mastic Floor Layer
• Ceramic Tile Setter
• Floor Tile Layer
• Tile Mechanic
• Wood Tile Installer
• Tile Erector
• Tile Installer
• Tile Setter
• Hard Tile Setter
• Marble Ceiling Installer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Masonry graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.5%
Less than a high school diploma	26.6%
Some college courses	8.8%
Postsecondary certificate	8.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.1%
Bachelor’s degree	3.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Masonry?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 93.9% of Masonry degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	23	6.1%
Men	355	93.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Masonry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	137	36.2%
Asian	1	0.3%
Hispanic or Latino	61	16.1%
Black or African American	142	37.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	1.9%
Two or More Races	10	2.6%
Race Unknown	17	4.5%
International Students	3	0.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Masonry Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Masonry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,525
4 years	$17,178
5 years	$20,337

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $20,337 — roughly -39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Masonry Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Masonry graduates earn a median of $17,178 four years after completion — about 55% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Mason/Masonry	378
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	312
Drywall Installation/Drywaller	254
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	70
Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker	21
Blasting/Blaster	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.