Stone splitter
Also known as: stone sawyer, splitting machine worker, stone breaker, stone splitting machine operator, stone splitting machine worker, stone fabricator
About this occupation
Stone splitters operate and maintain machines that split stone. They manipulate stone into different forms such as blocks, cobbles, tiles and concrete products.
Essential skills and knowledge
- determine location of the split
- use personal protection equipment
- maneuver stone blocks
- troubleshoot
- quality standards
- supply machine
- measure materials
- set end stops
- tend stone splitting machine
- remove processed workpiece
- types of stone for working
- wear appropriate protective gear
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Rock Splitters, Quarry (O*NET 47-5051.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- 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.
- Cut slabs of stone into sheets that will be used for floors or counters.
- Set charges of explosives to split rock.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$48,740 a year (2025), 3,320 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
- Construction Laborers
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Helpers--Extraction Workers
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.