Bricklayer
Construction trade laying bricks, blocks and stone for walls and other structures.
What a bricklayer actually does
Brickies typically start on site at 6:30 or 7am. The first job is setting up: levelling boards, mixing or ordering mortar, getting the pallets of bricks within easy reach. From there the day is repetition - laying course after course, checking string lines, plumb and level constantly. Most crews work in pairs, with a labourer keeping the brickie supplied with mortar and bricks. Houses run on a tight cycle: external walls of a single-storey house take a small crew about a week to finish. Commercial blockwork on hotels or apartment buildings runs to bigger crews and tighter program pressure. The work is repetitive, rhythmic and physically punishing on the back, wrists and knees. Most days finish by 3pm or earlier in summer. Pay is often piece-rate (per thousand bricks) rather than hourly once you're out of your time, which rewards speed but punishes any day you're not on the wall.
Skills you'll use
- Reading construction drawings and AS 3700 masonry code
- Setting out wall lines from datum and string
- Cutting bricks and blocks to fit openings
- Mortar mixing and consistency control
- Levelling, plumbing and gauge across courses
- Laying face brick, common brick, blockwork and stonework
- Bonding patterns, arches and corbels
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 with maths and English
- 2Get a White Card (CPCWHS1001) for construction sites
- 3Sign a 3-year apprenticeship with a bricklaying contractor or Group Training Organisation
- 4Complete the CPC33020 Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying through TAFE
- 5In Queensland, apply for the QBCC trade contractor licence to work above the $3,300 threshold
- 6Optional - complete a Certificate IV in Building and Construction to move into supervision
Where you can work
- Residential builders on new estates
- Commercial blockwork contractors on apartment buildings and hotels
- Heritage restoration on churches, schools and historic homes
- Council and government infrastructure projects
- Landscape and feature wall specialists
- Self-employed two-person or small-crew subcontract teams
Career progression
Typical stages and pay bands. Figures are sourced from Job Outlook, the Fair Work Building Industry Award, or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile.
- Apprentice3 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice bricklayer, Third-year apprentice bricklayerSalary band: $28,000 - $50,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: House bricklayer, Commercial blocklayer, Stone masonSalary band: $65,000 - $90,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Leading hand or gang boss5-10 yearsTypical roles: Leading hand, Bricklaying foreman, Crew gang bossSalary band: $90,000 - $120,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Subcontractor or business owner8+ yearsTypical roles: Subcontract bricklaying crew owner, Specialist heritage or stonework contractor
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You're built for repetitive, rhythmic work all day
- You can tolerate hot summers outdoors
- You're comfortable with piece-rate pay that rewards output
- You can keep accuracy to within millimetres across a wall
- You don't mind the mess of mortar on hands and clothes
This might not suit you if
- Your back, wrists or knees can't handle bending and lifting all day
- You can't commit to 3 years of apprentice pay
- You'd rather have varied jobs than the same task all day
- You can't tolerate working outdoors year-round
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | Not licensed in this state |
| VIC | Not licensed in this state |
| QLD | Queensland Building and Construction Commission (above $3,300) |
| SA | Not licensed in this state |
| WA | Not licensed in this state |
| TAS | Not licensed in this state |
| NT | Not licensed in this state |
| ACT | Not licensed in this state |