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Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing: Career Profile
Cut or carve stone according to diagrams and patterns.
The Daily Work of Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing Perform?
Typical responsibilities of stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing cover:
- Verify depths and dimensions of cuts or carvings to ensure adherence to specifications, blueprints, or models, using measuring instruments.
- Move fingers over surfaces of carvings to ensure smoothness of finish.
- Shape, trim, or touch up roughed-out designs with appropriate tools to finish carvings.
- Lay out designs or dimensions from sketches or blueprints on stone surfaces, freehand or by transferring them from tracing paper, using scribes or chalk and measuring instruments.
- Cut, shape, and finish rough blocks of building or monumental stone, according to diagrams or patterns.
- Drill holes and cut or carve moldings and grooves in stone, according to diagrams and patterns.
- Select chisels, pneumatic or surfacing tools, or sandblasting nozzles, and determine sequence of use.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Carver
- Chiseler
- Cutter
- Dresser
- Foot Caster
- Granite Cutter
- Granite Fabricator
- Granite Slab Fabricator
Job Outlook
There are about 110,403 stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -3.7% over the projection horizon.
Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,562 |
| Hourly median | $19.02 |
| 10th percentile | $27,113 |
| 25th percentile | $33,338 |
| 75th percentile | $45,786 |
| 90th percentile | $52,010 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $74,780 |
| Maryland | $51,470 |
| New Hampshire | $50,690 |
| New York | $50,470 |
| Connecticut | $50,350 |
| Massachusetts | $49,530 |
| Montana | $49,350 |
| Oregon | $49,290 |
| New Jersey | $49,120 |
| California | $48,390 |
| Georgia | $48,320 |
| Louisiana | $48,280 |
| Washington | $48,100 |
| Vermont | $47,700 |
| Nebraska | $47,640 |
| Rhode Island | $47,630 |
| Delaware | $47,210 |
| Arizona | $47,170 |
| Maine | $47,100 |
| Kansas | $47,040 |
| Indiana | $46,990 |
| Nevada | $46,350 |
| Wisconsin | $45,870 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,810 |
| Illinois | $45,720 |
| Colorado | $45,480 |
| North Dakota | $45,230 |
| Minnesota | $45,090 |
| Iowa | $44,760 |
| Ohio | $44,660 |
| Idaho | $43,960 |
| Florida | $43,730 |
| South Carolina | $42,730 |
| Michigan | $42,520 |
| Missouri | $42,090 |
| Arkansas | $41,920 |
| Virginia | $41,280 |
| Oklahoma | $41,010 |
| Kentucky | $40,280 |
| Tennessee | $39,570 |
| Utah | $39,260 |
| North Carolina | $39,090 |
| Texas | $38,960 |
| West Virginia | $36,970 |
| Alabama | $36,240 |
| Mississippi | $30,070 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $49,134 | 5.4% | 1.41 |
| Far Western US | $48,466 | 17.7% | 1.08 |
| Middle Atlantic | $48,200 | 12.1% | 0.94 |
| Plains States | $45,055 | 9.9% | 1.63 |
| Great Lakes | $44,930 | 21.5% | 1.69 |
| Rocky Mountains | $42,963 | 4.2% | 1.26 |
| Southeast | $40,825 | 21.6% | 1.13 |
| Southwest | $40,351 | 7.6% | 0.63 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland, NJ | NJ | $62,530 | 200 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $61,000 | 180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $58,630 | 420 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $58,150 | 80 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $57,360 | 60 |
| Syracuse, NY | NY | $54,560 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $54,250 | 450 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $52,740 | 80 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 28,900 | $45,490 |
| Construction | 3,060 | $48,720 |
| Retail Trade | 840 | $49,730 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 840 | $36,100 |
| Wholesale Trade | 520 | $43,310 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 140 | $48,040 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 40 | $41,700 |
Below are examples of industries where stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing work:
Software Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Spend Time Standing
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
Education and Training
Typical stone cutters and carvers, manufacturing positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons (Supplemental)
- Stonemasons (Primary-Short)
- Tile and Stone Setters (Primary-Short)
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (Supplemental)
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (Primary-Short)
- Rock Splitters, Quarry (Supplemental)
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (Primary-Long)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9195.03 (Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic).