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Ceramic, earth and stone product manufacturing workers

How to become a Stonemason

Also called: Quarry worker, Stone cutter, Stone polisher, Stone craftsperson, Stone carver, Stone splitter, Gravestone maker, Stone chipper

Quarries and shapes stone.

Workers in this job say high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start. It is often a family business handed down from parent to child, but some people join a stone processing company or stone shop after finishing their studies. There is also mid-career recruitment. After joining, you learn the basics at quarries, stone workshops and building sites, such as how to handle stone, the names of tools, and how to fetch water and add it to make cement mortar. It takes about 10 years to become fully skilled. With experience, some become site supervisors. A related qualification is the stone installation technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Stone is heavy, so you need the strength to move it and care to avoid injury. Stonemasons work with the character of each individual stone, so craft skill and sensitivity are needed.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Stonemason?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. It is often a family business handed down from parent to child, but some people join a stone processing company or stone shop after finishing their studies. There is also mid-career recruitment. After joining, you learn the basics at quarries, stone workshops and building sites, such as how to handle stone, the names of tools, and how to fetch water and add it to make cement mortar. It takes about 10 years to become fully skilled. With experience, some become site supervisors. A related qualification is the stone installation technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Stone is heavy, so you need the strength to move it and care to avoid injury. Stonemasons work with the character of each individual stone, so craft skill and sensitivity are needed.

How much does a Stonemason earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,675,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Ceramic, earth and stone product manufacturing workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Stonemason?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 15% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of a Stonemason?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026