How to hire stonemasons
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean excess mortar or grout from surface of marble, stone, or monument, using sponge, brush, water, or acid. • Construct and install prefabricated masonry units. • Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines. • 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. • Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level. • Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong critical thinking, active listening, mathematics, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills • Working knowledge of building and construction, design and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $27.59 an hour ($57,390 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for stonemasons
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean excess mortar or grout from surface of marble, stone, or monument, using sponge, brush, water, or acid. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to construct and install prefabricated masonry units. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to mix mortar or grout and pour or spread mortar or grout on marble slabs, stone, or foundation. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Walk me through a calculation you do regularly at work and how you check it.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What stonemasons do
- Clean excess mortar or grout from surface of marble, stone, or monument, using sponge, brush, water, or acid.
- Construct and install prefabricated masonry units.
- Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines.
- 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.
- Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level.
- Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for stonemasons
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Apprenticeship (BLS)
- Job outlook: -5.4% over ten years, declining · about 500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay stonemasons
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $60,930 |
See stonemasons pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Tile and Stone Setters
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Boilermakers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.