← UK Occupations
🇬🇧 UKSOC 5312· Skilled Construction and Building Trades

Stonemasons and related trades

Stonemasons erect and repair structures of stone and similar materials and cut, shape and polish granite, marble, slate and other stone for building, ornamental and other purposes.

Dry stone wallerMonumental masonStone mason
£33,938
median salary
11,300
currently employed
12,422
projected 2035
Declining
4 tasks scored1 AI Assists3 Human-Led

Task Bundle Breakdown

How AI interacts with this occupation's task bundle

25%
75%
0%
AI automates
25%
AI assists
75%
Human-led

Task-by-Task Breakdown

Every task scored individually — sorted highest to lowest AI exposure

56

examines drawings, photographs and specifications to determine job requirements

AI Assists

AI tools like AutoCAD with AI plugins or Adobe Firefly can help interpret drawings and specifications, flag inconsistencies, and generate material estimates, but a skilled mason still needs to translate these into physical execution decisions.

22

uses hand and power tools to shape, trim, carve, cut letters in and polish stone

Human-Led

CNC stone-cutting machines can automate some shaping and letter-cutting for standard jobs, but intricate carving, artistic detailing, and polishing still demand skilled human hands and aesthetic judgment.

11

marks and cuts stone using hammers, mallet and hand or pneumatic chisels

Human-Led

Physically marking and cutting stone with hammers, mallets, and chisels requires hands-on dexterity, tactile feedback, and real-time judgment that robotic systems cannot yet replicate at trade level.

11

levels, aligns and embeds stone in mortar, concrete or steel frame with stone to make and repair structures

Human-Led

Levelling, aligning, and embedding stone in mortar requires physical presence, real-time structural judgment, and manual skill that AI cannot perform — though laser-guided alignment tools can assist marginally.

ROI Calculator

Stonemasons and related trades

5.2hrs
saved per week
247.5hrs
per year ≈ 6.6 weeks
£4,666
salary-equivalent capacity freed per year

This is not a pay rise — it's 247.5 hours of productive capacity that AI could return to you, valued at your current rate.

£8,485
value at risk — 25% of role exposed to AI

The portion of your current salary tied to tasks AI can automate or augment. Not a prediction of job loss — a signal of where your role is changing fastest.

How is this calculated?▾

Task weights — each task is weighted by its O*NET frequency rating. Where frequency data is absent, equal weighting is applied.

AI time reduction — tasks scored as "AI Automates" assume 80% time saving; "AI Assists" assumes 40%; "Human-Led" assumes 5%.

Salary equivalent — annual hours saved × (salary ÷ 1,800 working hours/year).

Value at risk — salary × share of role time in AI-automate or AI-assist tasks.

Figures are indicative estimates for planning purposes, not guarantees of productivity gain or job loss risk.