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Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$49,140	5400	-3.7%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$49,140

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

5400

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

-3.7%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

Design, fabricate, adjust, repair, or appraise jewelry, gold, silver, other precious metals, or gems.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Detailed Work Activities

Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
Design jewelry or decorative objects.
Solder parts or workpieces.
Repair precision devices or workpieces.
Clean workpieces or finished products.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
Select production input materials.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Estimate costs of products, services, or materials.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
Build production molds.
Place materials into molds.
Reshape small metal components for precision assembly.
Shape metal workpieces with hammers or other small hand tools.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Determine the value of goods or services.
Evaluate quality of materials or products.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Design jewelry or decorative objects.
Design jewelry or decorative objects.
Sell products or services.
Purchase products or services.
Record operational or production data.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
Build production molds.
Design jewelry or decorative objects.
Confer with customers or designers to determine order specifications.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Prepare materials for processing.
Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.
Adjust position of molds during processing.
Reshape small metal components for precision assembly.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

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.
Grade stones based on their color, perfection, and quality of cut.
Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers.
Create new jewelry designs and modify existing designs, using computers as necessary.
Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals.
Record the weights and processing times of finished pieces.
Construct preliminary models of wax, metal, clay, or plaster, and form sample castings in molds.
Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items.
Soften metal to be used in designs by heating it with a gas torch and shape it, using hammers and dies.
Pierce and cut open designs in ornamentation, using hand drills and scroll saws.
Research and analyze reference materials, and consult with interested parties to develop new products or modify existing designs.
Mark, engrave, or emboss designs on metal pieces such as castings, wire, or jewelry, following specifications.
Pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds to cast models of jewelry.
Buy and sell jewelry, or serve as agents between buyers and sellers.
Determine appraised values of diamonds and other gemstones based on price guides, market fluctuations, and stone grades and rarity.
Lay out designs on metal stock, and cut along markings to fabricate pieces used to cast metal molds.
Design and fabricate molds, models, and machine accessories, and modify hand tools used to cast metal and jewelry pieces.
Cut designs in molds or other materials to be used as models in the fabrication of metal and jewelry products.
Rout out locations where parts are to be joined to items, using routing machines.
Weigh, mix, and melt metal alloys or materials needed for jewelry models.
Anneal precious metal objects such as coffeepots, tea sets, and trays in gas ovens for prescribed times to soften metal for reworking.
Rotate molds to distribute alloys and to prevent formation of air pockets.

Work Styles

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Achievement/Effort

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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