Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Apprenticeship
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Stonemasons work in a skilled construction trade that combines physical ability, precision, and creativity. Nationally, there are about 12,000 stonemasons, with a median annual salary of $51,990. The role relies on a blend of physical strength and stamina, fine motor skills, and problem solving, supported by abilities in mathematics, mechanical understanding, and project management. Creativity and innovation, along with interpersonal skills and leadership, also play a role in this career path. While projected national employment growth is -3.0%, there are still about 1,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing turnover and replacement needs. Career opportunities vary by location, with certain states and metro areas offering higher salaries or stronger overall opportunity scores. People considering this path may also be interested in related careers such as brickmasons and blockmasons, painters (construction and maintenance), rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators, insulation workers (mechanical), or furniture finishers.
Stonemasons earn a national median annual salary of $51,990, with pay varying notably by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, Washington has the highest median salary at $78,010, followed by California at $60,930. Colorado, Texas, and Maryland show lower median salaries of $49,630, $45,790, and $44,280, respectively. At the metro level, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue stands out with a median salary of $81,730, while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, New York-Newark-Jersey City, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont all offer median salaries above $60,000. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro has a lower median of $48,180 but still ranks highly in opportunity score. Overall, earnings potential for stonemasons can be significantly higher than the national median in certain states and metros, so geographic choices may have a substantial impact on pay.
National employment for stonemasons is about 12,000, with projected employment growth of -3.0%. Despite this negative growth outlook, there are an estimated 1,000 annual openings. This suggests that even as total employment is expected to decline somewhat, there will still be ongoing hiring needs, likely driven by turnover and replacement of workers. The -3.0% projected growth is consistent across the listed top states and metro areas, indicating a broadly similar outlook by region. For someone entering or advancing in this trade, the picture is one of a relatively small occupation with modest hiring activity rather than rapid expansion. Because opportunities persist mainly through openings rather than growth, career planning in this field may benefit from careful attention to location and to maintaining a strong, versatile skill set aligned with employer needs.
Location plays a significant role in stonemason career opportunities, with both states and metro areas showing meaningful differences in salary, employment levels, and opportunity scores. Among states, California leads with an opportunity score of 67.38, a median salary of $60,930, and employment of 1,250. Washington offers the highest state-level median salary at $78,010 and an opportunity score of 56.29, while Colorado, Maryland, and Texas show lower salaries and somewhat lower opportunity scores, ranging from 51.57 to 56.97. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City stands out with the highest opportunity score of 77.27, a median salary of $61,200, and employment of 820. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue provides the highest listed metro salary at $81,730, while San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim also combine relatively high salaries with strong opportunity scores. These variations indicate that both pay and overall opportunity can differ substantially depending on the specific region.
The typical education requirement for stonemasons is a high school diploma or equivalent. Beyond formal education, success in this field draws heavily on a defined set of skills and abilities. Physical strength and stamina are important, along with fine motor skills that support precise, detailed work. Mathematics and mechanical skills contribute to accurately planning and completing tasks. Project management and leadership abilities can be valuable for organizing work and coordinating with others. Creativity and innovation support developing effective approaches and solutions, while science knowledge and problem solving and decision making skills help address technical challenges. Interpersonal skills are also important for working effectively with clients, supervisors, and teammates. Together, this combination of education and skills defines the professional profile of stonemasons and can support growth from entry-level roles into more advanced positions within the trade.
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