Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters vs Pipelayers: Similar Pay, -11.7% vs -3.1% Growth

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters vs Pipelayers: what changes?

Consider Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters if you want to help brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, or tile and marble setters by performing duties requiring less skill. Consider Pipelayers if you would rather lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains, and water mains. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters and Pipelayers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters

National median pay (2025): $47,550
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Mix mortar, plaster, and grout, manually or using machines, according to standard formulas.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,100

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 11.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters brief

Pipelayers

National median pay (2025): $49,000
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Grade or level trench bases, using tamping machines or hand tools.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,100

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 3.1% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Pipelayers brief

How the national numbers differ

Pipelayers has the edge on annual openings

Pipelayers is at 2,100 annual openings, compared with 1,100 annual openings for Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters.

Pipelayers has the edge on projected growth

Pipelayers is at -3.1% projected growth, compared with -11.7% projected growth for Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters.

Pipelayers has the edge on median pay

Pipelayers is at $49,000, compared with $47,550 for Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters.

27/ 100

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters

35.2/ 100

Pipelayers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters vs Pipelayers

Dimension	Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters	Pipelayers
Median pay (2025)	$47,550	$49,000
Pay percentile	25 percentile	29.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-11.7%	-3.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,100	2,100
2025 employment	14,100	33,200
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters brief Read Pipelayers brief

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters vs Pipelayers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters

Pipelayers

How the national numbers differ

Pipelayers has the edge on annual openings

Pipelayers has the edge on projected growth

Pipelayers has the edge on median pay

Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters vs Pipelayers

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