How to become a Manufacturing Stone Cutter or Carver

Official title: Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing

Also called: Carver, Cutter, Granite Cutter, Granite Stone Cutter, Polisher, Sandblast Carver, Shape Carver, Stone Carver, Stone Cutter, Stone Fabricator

Cut or carve stone according to diagrams and patterns.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Sandblaster, Stone.
• Apprenticeship: Stone Carver.
• Apprenticeship: Stonecutter, Hand.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $46,170 a year The middle half earn $39,280 to $53,000.
• About 43,000 people work in this job now, and about 45,500 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

• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Etchers and Engravers
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Manufacturing Stone Cutter or Carver?

Ways in include: Sandblaster, Stone.

How much does a Manufacturing Stone Cutter or Carver earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,170 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $39,280 to $53,000.

Is a Manufacturing Stone Cutter or Carver a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 43,000 to about 45,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Manufacturing Stone Cutter or Carver?

Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Sandblaster, Stone.

Will AI change the work of a Manufacturing Stone Cutter or Carver?

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.