Guidance.help

Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing

The occupation Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing covers people who cut or carve stone according to diagrams and patterns. You may also need to shape, trim, or touch up roughed-out designs with appropriate tools to finish carvings. With a code of RAC, this is mostly a job for people drawn to hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Artistic interests also help, rated 3.8 out of 7. Plan on a few months to a year of learning on the job; O*NET labels this some preparation. Strength in judgment and decision making, critical thinking, and active listening helps most here. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need leading, persuading and making business decisions, it may feel thin.

What they do

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.

Skills

  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Time Management
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You want room to make something in your own way.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on judgment and decision making and critical thinking.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RAC takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Carver
  • Cutter
  • Granite Cutter
  • Granite Stone Cutter
  • Polisher

Related careers

Is this your direction?

See how your interests line up with RAC and 906 other careers.

Take the career test

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.