Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Design, fabricate, adjust, repair, or appraise jewelry, gold, silver, other precious metals, or gems.
What it pays
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers earn a median of $25.26/hr — about $52,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.11/hr; the top 10% earn $42.09/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers earn a median of $25.26/hr — about $52,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.11/hr; the top 10% earn $42.09/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
- 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.
- Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
- Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
- Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 33.9% of jewelers and precious stone and metal workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and creative.
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Quick questions
- How much does a jewelers and precious stone and metal worker make?
- The median pay is $25.26 per hour — roughly $52,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.11/hr (10th percentile) to $42.09/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a jewelers and precious stone and metal worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a jewelers and precious stone and metal worker actually do all day?
- Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools. 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.