Stone, Concrete, Ceramics, and Glass

The outlook for the stone, concrete, ceramics, and glass industries varies by sector. The stone, concrete, ceramics, and glass industries are linked to and dependent on other industries, so growth is also dependent on the overall economy and financial health of partner industries, such as road and building construction, renewable energy, aerospace, medical equipment, and vehicle manufacturing.

The value of the global natural stone market is expected to increase from $33.7 billion in 2020 to $57.6 billion by 2032, according to Allied Market Research. It reports that increases in "spending on home remodeling and retrofitting activities drives the natural stone market. However, fluctuations in foreign currencies and an increase in emphasis toward utilization of artificial materials are restraining the growth of the market. On the contrary, increase in government and private investments in the infrastructure are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market."

Revenue in the global concrete industry is projected to increase from $687.2 billion in 2021 to $821.6 billion by 2026, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6 percent, according to Global Market Estimates. The market research and strategic business consulting company says that the global concrete market is "driven by the growth of the construction industry and the growing investment in new construction projects across the globe. Technological advancements are also expected to play an important part in the growth of the global concrete market. Smart concrete is being developed which can detect potential issues with the concrete before the failure occurs, such concrete can sense minute structural flaws in the concrete. Such concrete is expected to be important in cities that are prone to earthquakes and facilitate ease of building inspection to ensure the safety of its residents."

Much of this growth in the stone and concrete industries will be due to demands for infrastructure projects such as construction of roads and bridges, and of schools, apartment buildings, hospitals, and other facilities, as well as the need for these products in residential construction.

Revenue in the global ceramics industry is expected to grow from $248.9 billion in 2024 to $359.4 billion by 2030, increasing at a CAGR of 5.6 percent from 2024 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. Strong growth in the building and construction industry, including the increasing use of ceramics in indoor home decoration, will fuel revenue growth. Continued demand for ceramics in medical applications and equipment (including the growing use of ceramic components in joint replacements) will also fuel growth. The aerospace industry is another major user of ceramics, since they are lighter than metals. "This enables longer time in space, especially for exploration, larger payloads, low fuel consumption, and faster speeds," according to Grand View Research.

Revenue in the global glass manufacturing industry is expected to grow from $106.4 billion in 2021 to $167.5 billion by 2030, increasing at a CAGR of 5.2 percent from 2022 to 2030, according to Grand View Research. There is a need for a wide range of glass products, which will fuel demand during this time span. Additionally, scientists are finding many new uses for ceramic and glass materials. Ceramic and glass materials provide a good solution to the energy problems posed by the high-temperature, corrosive environments involved in solar heating, nuclear reactors, geothermal heat production, and gas turbines, for example. This may ultimately lead to an increased demand for workers in this industry. The market research group IBISWorld reports that the U.S. glass product manufacturing industry generated $29.9 billion in revenue in 2024, with 3,326 businesses.

Although glass and ceramic materials have been touted as having the potential to solve many of the world's industrial and environmental problems, the industries that produce glass and ceramic products are expected to see declines in some areas of employment through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), particularly among assemblers and fabricators; furnace, kiln, oven, and kettle operators; and grinders and polishers. Declines in these fields are often partly the result of increased automation and decreased demand for the products. Employment levels were also negatively affected by industry restructuring and mergers; during the last recession, many companies either exited the business or were acquired by larger companies.

The DOL reports that approximately 426,700 people worked in nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing, including stone, concrete, ceramics, and glass manufacturing in December 2024.

In all four industries, the demand for engineers and materials and other research scientists will be higher than demand for production workers. Employment of engineers and scientists is expected to grow to meet the demands for new materials and to adapt existing products to new applications.

The stone, concrete, ceramics, and glass industries are quite dependent on other industries, especially construction, automobile manufacturing, fiber optics, and renewable energy. This means that if the other industries are active, demand will increase, but during downturns demand will decrease.

The DOL reports that the mean annual wage of workers in nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing was $57,470 in May 2023. The national average for all private sector workers was $63,098. Workers earned the following average salaries by occupational specialty:

• chemists and materials scientists: $104,180
• engineers: $98,030
• first-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers: $71,730
• engineering technologists and technicians: $63,140
• truck drivers (heavy and tractor-trailer): $54,030
• extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders: $45,920
• molders, shapers, and casters (except metal and plastic): $45,000
• laborers and freight, stock, and material movers-hand: $42,600