What's involved

There are two types of stonemasons, a banker mason and a fixer mason.

Banker masons work in a workshop and shape different components from sawn stone. They use templates and drawings to produce carved stone for new and existing buildings, including intricate carvings

Fixer masons install the stone components produced by the banker masons to repair or restore the building. They sometimes work on buildings which are of both historical and architectural importance.

Skills required

You'll need to be both creative and practical. Having an interest in history will also help as much of the work involves the restoration of old buildings.

The job involves following architectural plans and drawings so you'll need to be good at maths to measure areas accurately. You also need a good head for heights to work as a fixer mason.

Qualifications required

There are no formal requirements although it would help to have Standard Grades in English and Maths.

Salary ranges

(This is a guide to the average salary a fully qualified and experienced person might expect to get.)

£15,000 - £33,000

Progression routes

Stonemasonry has a wide range of opportunities that apprentices can be involved with in a structured career path, such as new, existing and heritage buildings. If you decide to progress into supervisory, design or management roles there are opportunities to study for:

• Technical, supervisory and  management SVQ qualifications (SCQF Levels 6 to11)
• HNC Construction or a number of other built environment HNC/HND qualifications (SCQF Levels 7 or 8)
• Degree level qualifications in a number of construction disciplines (SCQF Levels 9 to 12)