How much does a stonemason make?

The median pay is $27.59 per hour — roughly $57,500 a year, with the real range running from about $18.89/hr (10th percentile) to $41.43/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a stonemason?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a stonemason actually do all day?

Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines. Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools. Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level.

Construction & Trades

Stonemasons

Build stone structures, such as piers, walls, and abutments. Lay walks, curbstones, or special types of masonry for vats, tanks, and floors.

What it pays
Stonemasons earn a median of $27.59/hr — about $57,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $18.89/hr; the top 10% earn $41.43/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines.
Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools.
Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level.
Mix mortar or grout and pour or spread mortar or grout on marble slabs, stone, or foundation.
Remove wedges, fill joints between stones, finish joints between stones, using a trowel, and smooth the mortar to an attractive finish, using a tuck pointer.
Set stone or marble in place, according to layout or pattern.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 27.3% of stonemasons are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a stonemason make?: The median pay is $27.59 per hour — roughly $57,500 a year, with the real range running from about $18.89/hr (10th percentile) to $41.43/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a stonemason?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a stonemason actually do all day?: Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines. Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools. Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.