Career Overview
Cut or carve stone according to diagrams and patterns.
Also Known As
- Carver
- Sandblaster
- Stone Carver
- Stone Cutter
Alternate Job Titles
- Carver
- Chiseler
- Cutter
- Dresser
- Foot Caster
- Granite Cutter
- Granite Fabricator
- Granite Slab Fabricator
- Granite Worker
- Hand Stonecutter
- Internal Carver
- Marble Carver
- Marble Cutter
- Monument Letterer
- Polisher
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Control Precision
- Near Vision
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Visualization
- Trunk Strength
- Multilimb Coordination
- Extent Flexibility
- Information Ordering
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Independence
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Air compressors
- Blow torches
- Bush hammers
- Bushing chisels
- Cold chisels
- Combination squares
- Computer terminals
- Computerized numerical control CNC routers
- Computerized numerical control CNC water jet cutters
- Criss-cross chisels
- Cup chisels
- Design stencils
- Desktop computers
- Dial calipers
- Flat chisels
Work Environment
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Spend Time Standing
- Exposed to Contaminants
- 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
Salary & Job Market
Wages reported for the broader Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing.
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $34,950 |
| Median | $45,690 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $61,050 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 34,750
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Stonemasons
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $51,990
Tile and Stone Setters
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $52,240
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $45,690
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $57,260
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $41,690
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.