How to become a Quarry Rock Splitter

Official title: Rock Splitters, Quarry

Also called: Driller, Quarry Worker, Rock Splitter, Splitter Operator, Stone Breaker, Stone Splitter

Separate blocks of rough dimension stone from quarry mass using jackhammers, wedges, or chop saws.

Main tasks

• Locate grain line patterns to determine how rocks will split when cut.
• Remove pieces of stone from larger masses, using jackhammers, wedges, and other tools.
• Insert wedges and feathers into holes, and drive wedges with sledgehammers to split stone sections from masses.
• Mark dimensions or outlines on stone prior to cutting, using rules and chalk lines.

How to become one

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $48,740 a year The middle half earn $42,670 to $60,030.
• About 3,500 people work in this job now, and about 3,700 are projected by 2035. (+5.8%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
• Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
• Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
• Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters

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Questions people ask

How much does a Quarry Rock Splitter earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $48,740 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $42,670 to $60,030.

Is a Quarry Rock Splitter a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 3,500 to about 3,700 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Quarry Rock Splitter?

Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Quarry Rock Splitter?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.