Mason / Bricklayer
Builds walls, foundations and structures using bricks, blocks, stone and concrete. Essential to Kenyas construction industry, working on residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.
- AI exposure
- 3 of 100, low exposure
- Hiring trend
- Rising
- Hiring rate
- 62%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- No
- Freelance potential
- High
- Time to senior
- 5 years
- Adaptation level
- Moderate
A day in the role
Lays blocks for a perimeter wall, builds a foundation for a residential house, checks alignment with a spirit level, and supervises two apprentices on a commercial site.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 22,000-38,000
- Mid
- KES 55,000-90,000
- Senior
- KES 120,000-200,000+
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 2% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside trades & vocational the mean is 11, across 66 careers.
What the rating is made of
Share of recorded tasks- Machine does it
- 3%Software can already complete this work end to end.
- Machine assists
- 8%A person still decides, but the drafting is done for them.
- Person does it
- 89%Judgement, relationships and accountability that do not transfer.
Named task by task
Already automated
- Generating material quantity estimates
- Producing project timeline drafts
Still human
- Laying bricks, blocks and stone
- Reading construction drawings
- Mixing mortar and concrete
- Ensuring structural alignment and level
- Building foundations and walls
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Metal Processing TechnologyKsh 42,600a year
- Artisan in Building TechnologyKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Carpentry and JoineryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Front Office OperationsKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in HorticultureKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Land SurveyingKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in MasonryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Refrigeration and Air ConditioningKsh 67,189a year
How people get in
Vocational training (NITA)
1-2 yearsLow cost
Masonry certificate at a technical institute
On-site apprenticeship
2-4 yearsLow cost
Learn on construction sites under experienced masons
Who hires
- Construction firms
- Self-employment
- Bamburi Cement
- Safaricom construction projects
- Government infrastructure projects
Common misconceptions
Masonry is just laying bricks
It involves structural knowledge, blueprint reading, material science and understanding of building codes.
Anyone can do it
Proper masonry requires training — poorly built walls are safety hazards.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Supply and demand
- Demand
- 62
- Supply pressure
- 28
- Balance
- High demand
What to learn
- Interlocking block systems
- Reinforced concrete
- Sustainable building
Related careers
Kenyan market notes
Masons earn KES 1,500-1,800 per day in Nairobi (KES 39,000-46,800/month equivalent). Stone masons command higher rates. Severe shortage of skilled masons in Kenya driving labor costs up. Most masons are self-employed contractors. Interlocking blocks and sustainable building techniques ( Hydraform, ISSB) are growing trends. TVET masonry courses among most marketable in 2026.
Further reading
This role is rated 3 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.