Production
Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
Also called: Carver, Cutter, Granite Cutter, Granite Stone Cutter
US median pay
$46,170
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+5.8%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
5,100
43,000 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Cut or carve stone according to diagrams and patterns.
What they do day to day
- Shape, trim, or touch up roughed-out designs with appropriate tools to finish carvings.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drill holes and cut or carve moldings and grooves in stone, according to diagrams and patterns.
- Remove or add stencils during blasting to create differing cut depths, intricate designs, or rough, pitted finishes.
- Guide nozzles over stone, following stencil outlines, or chip along marks to create designs or to work surfaces down to specified finishes.
- Carve designs or figures in full or bas relief on stone, employing knowledge of stone carving techniques and sense of artistry to produce carvings consistent with designers' plans.
- Select chisels, pneumatic or surfacing tools, or sandblasting nozzles, and determine sequence of use.
- Load sandblasting equipment with abrasives, attach nozzles to hoses, and turn valves to admit compressed air and activate jets.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Coordination2.6/5
- Operations Monitoring2.5/5
- Operation and Control2.5/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.4/5
Knowledge
- Mathematics3.6/5
- Production and Processing3.6/5
- Mechanical3.2/5
- English Language3.1/5
- Administration and Management3.1/5
- Design3.1/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma66%
- Less than high school22%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.