Will AI replace brickmasons and blockmasons?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 47m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 5h 13m (65%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.1% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 47m of a typical shift. 8 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface. (1h 20m a shift; e.g. Monumental bricklaying robot fleet (Pisa layer + Atrium software), in use)
• 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. (40m a shift; e.g. Monumental bricklaying robots (Atrium software), in use)
• Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels. (27m a shift; e.g. HP SitePrint, in use)
• Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses. (20m a shift; e.g. Monumental bricklaying robots (Atrium software), in use)

5h 13m of a typical shift, or 65%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Lay and align bricks, blocks, or tiles to build or repair structures or high temperature equipment, such as cupola, kilns, ovens, or furnaces. (1h 40m a shift)
• Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance. (47m a shift)
• Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw. (33m a shift)
• Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement. (27m a shift)
• Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures. (27m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 100% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 97% work outdoors in all weather every day
• 84% work in very hot or cold conditions at least weekly

On Indeed, job postings in the Construction sector are at 129% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 4,100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $62,120 a year ($29.87 an hour), 22% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $44,820 and $100,010 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 63,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 4,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 53,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.03% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 380th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 63,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 70% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, Coordination, Time Management
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 13m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Use drone technology to inspect and assess the condition of tall structures.

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (2h 5m touched, $76k median pay)
• Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers (0m touched, $59k median pay)
• Glaziers (37m touched, $57k median pay)
• Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (41m touched, $57k median pay)
• Floor Sanders and Finishers (0m touched, $50k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 with robots in real deployments, 10 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.