Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,580 | $17.11 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $52,540 | $25.26 |
| Mean (average) | $57,960 | $27.87 |
| 90th percentile | $87,540 | $42.09 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 47 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,890 | $31,910 | $66,440 | 110 | 0.37 |
| Arizona | $42,240 | $34,850 | $75,920 | 440 | 0.95 |
| Arkansas | $35,950 | $27,910 | $65,990 | 270 | 1.42 |
| California | $60,790 | $38,180 | $81,660 | 2,300 | 0.88 |
| Colorado | $57,120 | $37,020 | $83,420 | 220 | 0.54 |
| Connecticut | $69,800 | $47,910 | $83,320 | 140 | 0.58 |
| Florida | $51,470 | $36,360 | $97,810 | 1,070 | 0.74 |
| Georgia | $47,810 | $22,720 | $83,200 | 420 | 0.59 |
| Hawaii | $48,450 | $30,400 | $92,880 | 170 | 1.86 |
| Idaho | $47,090 | $31,190 | $60,370 | 130 | 1.05 |
| Illinois | $54,990 | $32,430 | $78,580 | 610 | 0.7 |
| Indiana | $47,620 | $28,720 | $77,270 | 380 | 0.82 |
| Iowa | $50,280 | $37,370 | $69,930 | 160 | 0.7 |
| Kansas | $57,730 | $35,930 | $77,410 | 110 | 0.51 |
| Kentucky | $47,090 | $33,830 | $82,420 | 320 | 1.1 |
| Louisiana | $51,420 | $26,740 | $73,880 | 280 | 1 |
| Maine | $48,080 | $34,600 | $90,570 | 50 | 0.53 |
| Maryland | $45,430 | $34,380 | $64,890 | 80 | 0.21 |
| Massachusetts | $51,060 | $36,510 | $79,000 | 830 | 1.58 |
| Michigan | $56,610 | $37,770 | $79,970 | 460 | 0.72 |
| Minnesota | $54,310 | $23,150 | $76,790 | 220 | 0.53 |
| Mississippi | $55,010 | $29,050 | $68,990 | 40 | 0.27 |
| Missouri | $56,140 | $39,840 | $63,140 | 490 | 1.16 |
| Montana | $37,580 | $28,590 | $74,910 | 80 | 1.12 |
| Nebraska | $46,920 | $37,580 | $71,970 | 120 | 0.81 |
| Nevada | $40,510 | $28,610 | $72,730 | 330 | 1.47 |
| New Hampshire | $43,520 | $36,170 | $72,800 | 170 | 1.72 |
| New Jersey | $59,480 | $34,790 | $93,350 | 780 | 1.27 |
| New Mexico | $46,200 | $30,000 | $58,440 | 230 | 1.84 |
| New York | $61,720 | $37,160 | $102,040 | 4,300 | 3.07 |
| North Carolina | $55,420 | $32,470 | $80,200 | 770 | 1.08 |
| North Dakota | $57,020 | $38,980 | $82,020 | 50 | 0.76 |
| Ohio | $48,190 | $34,080 | $87,170 | 430 | 0.54 |
| Oklahoma | $41,720 | $31,420 | $62,170 | 180 | 0.75 |
| Oregon | $44,510 | $38,550 | $82,840 | 530 | 1.87 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,880 | $38,510 | $93,490 | 760 | 0.87 |
| Rhode Island | $48,800 | $39,190 | $77,650 | 540 | 7.52 |
| South Carolina | $60,380 | $39,850 | $74,350 | 200 | 0.59 |
| South Dakota | $45,110 | $37,350 | $61,770 | 90 | 1.44 |
| Tennessee | $48,240 | $31,140 | $77,230 | 370 | 0.79 |
| Texas | $47,590 | $32,560 | $80,680 | 1,810 | 0.89 |
| Utah | $39,860 | $30,450 | $63,340 | 420 | 1.69 |
| Vermont | $58,570 | $36,960 | $79,820 | 50 | 1.12 |
| Virginia | $61,940 | $36,990 | $93,840 | 240 | 0.41 |
| Washington | $60,380 | $42,210 | $116,020 | 290 | 0.56 |
| West Virginia | $46,370 | $29,650 | $56,380 | 30 | 0.31 |
| Wisconsin | $55,830 | $33,270 | $77,750 | 280 | 0.66 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 32.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking CIP 47.0408
- Jewelry Arts CIP 50.0713
- Metal Arts CIP 50.0714
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
- Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
- Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
- Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
- Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
- Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
- Compute costs of labor and materials to determine production costs of products and articles.
- Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
Technology skills
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Computer assisted jewelry design CAD software
- Customer information databases
- Inventory tracking software
- Jewelry store point of sale POS software
- Metal designing software
- Retail management software
- Web browser software
Transferable skills for career changers: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management.
Common job titles: Appraiser, Artisan Jeweler, Bench Jeweler, Caster, Gemologist, Goldsmith, Jeweler, Polisher, Silversmith, Stone Setter.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make?
The national median annual wage for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers was $52,540 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $35,580 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $87,540. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and long-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is jewelers and precious stone and metal workers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of jewelers and precious stone and metal workers to change -3.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay jewelers and precious stone and metal workers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Connecticut ($69,800), Virginia ($61,940), New York ($61,720). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.