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Quarry worker: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$48,740median pay per year, or $23.44 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $37,340lowest 10% earn less
  2. $42,67025th percentile
  3. $48,740median
  4. $60,03075th percentile
  5. $67,710top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Rock splitters in quarries, the BLS category for this work, earned a median of $48,740 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+5.8%[2]
Openings per year
400[5]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[6]

How much do quarry workers make?

The median pay for rock splitters in quarries was $48,740 a year, or $23.44 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $51,500 a year, or $24.76 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,340, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $67,710[3]. The 25th percentile was $42,670 and the 75th was $60,030[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[8].

Hourly, the 10th percentile was $17.95 and the 90th was $32.55[9].

Measure Annual wage Source
10th percentile[3] $37,340
Median[1] $48,740
Mean[7] $51,500
90th percentile[3] $67,710

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses that are not tied to production, and the cost of benefits[10].

Pay by state and city

Massachusetts had the highest median wage at $66,000, followed by Vermont at $65,420 and Wisconsin at $62,000[11]. Idaho had the lowest listed median at $35,880[11]. Only 19 states have published data[11].

The states with the most jobs were Kentucky with 310, Tennessee with 300, California with 290, Missouri with 280 and Pennsylvania with 260[12]. Job counts are small, so a state figure can rest on a few workers.

Only one metro area is listed for pay, St. Louis, MO-IL, with a median of $60,990[13]. It also had the most jobs of any metro area, at 100[14].

Show median pay in 19 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[11]$66,00090
Vermont$65,420n/a
Wisconsin$62,00040
California$61,620290
Missouri$60,990280
Oregon$59,76050
Minnesota$57,97080
North Carolina$56,32080
Indiana$49,890220
Pennsylvania$48,580260
Ohio$48,56050
Tennessee$48,160300
Colorado$46,590100
Montana$46,260100
Oklahoma$45,040200
Kentucky$44,000310
Kansas$42,560n/a
Georgia$42,32030
Idaho$35,88090

How to become a quarry worker

The typical path asks for little up front[6]:

O*NET groups the job in a zone where little to some preparation is needed. Some jobs in that group need little or no experience, and others need several months to a year[15].

What rock splitters do

Rock splitters separate blocks of rough stone from the mass of rock in a quarry, using tools such as jackhammers, wedges or chop saws[16]. Common tasks include:

Workers report job titles such as quarry worker, stone splitter and stone breaker[18].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of rock splitters in quarries to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035[2]. That is from about 3,500 to 3,700 jobs, or 200 more[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[19].

About 400 openings are projected each year[5]. Some come from workers leaving the field, not only from new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.1% of workers leave the labor force and 6.1% move to a different occupation[20].

The wage data counted about 3,320 jobs[21]. The projection count differs because it includes self-employed workers, who were 5.4% of the occupation in 2025[2][22].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a median wage a little below the all-occupations median, at $48,740 against $50,980[1][4]. Entry needs no formal credential and no related experience, and training is short-term on the job[6]. Projected growth is faster than the all-occupations rate, but the job is small, with about 3,320 wage jobs[21][2][19]. State pay varies widely, from $66,000 in Massachusetts to $35,880 in Idaho[11].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a quarry worker make an hour?
Rock splitters in quarries had a median of $23.44 an hour in May 2025, and an average of $24.76[1][7].
What education do you need to be a quarry worker?
No formal educational credential is typically needed, and short-term on-the-job training is typical[6].
Is quarry work in demand?
Employment of rock splitters in quarries is projected to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations[2][19]. About 400 openings are projected each year[5].
What is the highest paying state for quarry workers?
Massachusetts, with a median of $66,000[11]. Vermont ($65,420) and Wisconsin ($62,000) follow[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Rock Splitters, Quarry in the US was $48,740 per year and $23.44 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Rock Splitters, Quarry is projected to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 3,500 to 3,700 jobs (a change of +200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Rock Splitters, Quarry: 10th percentile $37,340, 25th percentile $42,670, 75th percentile $60,030, 90th percentile $67,710. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 400 openings for Rock Splitters, Quarry are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Rock Splitters, Quarry: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Rock Splitters, Quarry was $51,500 per year and $24.76 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Rock Splitters, Quarry: 10th percentile $17.95, 25th percentile $20.51, 75th percentile $28.86, 90th percentile $32.55. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Rock Splitters, Quarry in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Rock Splitters, Quarry jobs: Kentucky 310; Tennessee 300; California 290; Missouri 280; Pennsylvania 260. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Rock Splitters, Quarry (areas with at least 100 jobs): St. Louis, MO-IL $60,990. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Rock Splitters, Quarry jobs: St. Louis, MO-IL 100 (median $60,990); Bloomington, IN 40 (median $49,040); Springfield, MO 30 (median $54,930). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 47-5051.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET description of Rock Splitters, Quarry. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET task list for Rock Splitters, Quarry. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET 47-5051.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Driller, Quarry Worker, Rock Splitter, Splitter Operator, Stone Breaker, Stone Splitter. O*NET OnLine
  19. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  20. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Rock Splitters, Quarry: 3.1% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 3,320 people were employed as Rock Splitters, Quarry in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  22. BLS Employment Projections: 5.4% of Rock Splitters, Quarry were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the 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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.