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

  • 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.
  • Clean excess mortar or grout from surface of marble, stone, or monument, using sponge, brush, water, or acid.
  • Lay brick to build shells of chimneys and smokestacks or to line or reline industrial furnaces, kilns, boilers and similar installations.
  • Replace broken or missing masonry units in walls or floors.
  • Smooth, polish, and bevel surfaces, using hand tools and power tools.
  • Drill holes in marble or ornamental stone and anchor brackets in holes.
  • Repair cracked or chipped areas of stone or marble, using blowtorch and mastic, and remove rough or defective spots from concrete, using power grinder or chisel and hammer.
  • Remove sections of monument from truck bed, and guide stone onto foundation, using skids, hoist, or truck crane.
  • Construct and install prefabricated masonry units.
  • Dig trench for foundation of monument, using pick and shovel.
  • Position mold along guidelines of wall, press mold in place, and remove mold and paper from wall.
  • Line interiors of molds with treated paper and fill molds with composition-stone mixture.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  • Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Mark reference points on construction materials.
  • Cut tile, stone, or other masonry materials.
  • Align masonry materials.
  • Mix substances or compounds needed for work activities.
  • Spread concrete or other aggregate mixtures.
  • Apply mortar.
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Knowledge

Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
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Skills

Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Time Management
  • Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination
  • Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness
  • Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
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Abilities

Trunk Strength
  • The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Static Strength
  • The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Network security or virtual private network VPN management software
  • Virtual private networking VPN software Hot Technology
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP software Hot Technology
Computer aided design CAD software
  • RISA Technologies RISA-3D Hot Technology
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