Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC

Rock Splitters, Quarry

Separate blocks of rough dimension stone from quarry mass using jackhammers, wedges, or chop saws.

Also called: Driller, Quarry Worker, Rock Splitter, Stone Splitter, Splitter Operator, Stone Breaker.

O*NET 47-5051.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $48,740; Middle half earn $42,670 to $60,030. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Less than a High School Diploma; 50% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Cut slabs of stone into sheets that will be used for floors or counters.
Locate grain line patterns to determine how rocks will split when cut.
Set charges of explosives to split rock.
Drill holes along outlines, using jackhammers.
Drill holes into sides of stones broken from masses, insert dogs or attach slings, and direct removal of stones.
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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.0 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Critical Thinking2.8 / 5
Speaking2.6 / 5
Writing2.1 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.0 / 5
Mechanical2.9 / 5
Mathematics2.8 / 5
Education and Training2.8 / 5
Public Safety and Security2.8 / 5
Administration and Management2.7 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative18
Artistic12
Social4
Enterprising3
Conventional37

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

stonemason · DE Steinmetz/Steinmetzin · FR maçon pierre/maçonne pierre
surface miner · DE Tagebauarbeiter/Tagebauarbeiterin · FR mineur de surface/mineuse de surface
mineral crushing operator · DE Brechermaschinist/Brechermaschinistin · FR opérateur de broyeur/opératrice de broyeur
mineral processing operator · DE Mineralaufbereiter/Mineralaufbereiterin · FR opérateur de machines de traitement du minerai/opératrice de machines de traitement du minerai
stone driller · DE Steinbohrer/Steinbohrerin · FR débiteur de pierre/débitrice de pierre
stone planer · DE Naturwerksteinmechaniker/Naturwerksteinmechanikerin · FR tailleur de pierre/tailleuse de pierre

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Stonemasons and related trades (5312)9,900 employed
Mobile machine drivers and operatives n.e.c. (8229)53,000 employed
Mining and quarry workers and related operatives (8132)9,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.76. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-5051).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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