Will AI replace stonemasons?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 56m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The other 5h 4m (63%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.4% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 3 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 56m of a typical shift. 11 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 2 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Set stone or marble in place, according to layout or pattern. (2h 2m a shift; e.g. Monumental autonomous bricklaying robots (Atrium platform), in use)
• Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level. (30m a shift; e.g. Monumental (Pisa/Petra/Panama robot fleet), in use)
• Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines. (24m a shift; e.g. Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter / FieldPrint Platform, in use)

5h 4m of a typical shift, or 63%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools. (1h 13m a shift)
• 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. (55m a shift)
• Mix mortar or grout and pour or spread mortar or grout on marble slabs, stone, or foundation. (49m a shift)
• Clean excess mortar or grout from surface of marble, stone, or monument, using sponge, brush, water, or acid. (30m a shift)
• Replace broken or missing masonry units in walls or floors. (24m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 96% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 88% work at arm's length or closer to other people
• 88% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

On Indeed, job postings in the Construction sector are at 129% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 500 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $57,390 a year ($27.59 an hour), 13% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $39,300 and $86,180 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 5.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 8,800 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 500 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 7,820 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 699th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 8,800 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 58% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operations Monitoring, Mathematics, Time Management, Complex Problem Solving
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 4m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Glaziers (37m touched, $57k median pay)
• Floor Sanders and Finishers (0m touched, $50k median pay)
• Roofers (35m touched, $55k median pay)
• Tile and Stone Setters (58m touched, $56k median pay)
• Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (2h 5m touched, $76k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 3 with robots in real deployments, 13 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.