Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Long-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers focus on creating, modifying, and working with jewelry and related items. National employment is about 35,000, with a typical education level of a high school diploma or equivalent. This means the field can be accessible to those who complete secondary education and then build skills on the job or through other training paths. The role draws heavily on creativity and innovation, fine motor skills, and strong attention to detail, making it well-suited to people who enjoy precise, hands-on work. Critical and analytical thinking, mathematics, and mechanical abilities also play an important part, alongside customer service skills. While projected national employment growth is -5.5%, there are still about 4,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing movement in the occupation. CareerGPS opportunity scores highlight particular states and metro areas where conditions may be more favorable, giving prospective jewelers options to target locations that better match their salary and opportunity preferences.
Nationally, jewelers and precious stone and metal workers earn a median annual salary of $49,140. Several states offer higher median pay, including New York at $61,720, California at $60,790, Washington at $60,380, and Colorado at $57,120. Massachusetts is closer to the national figure, at $51,060. Among metros, some stand out for even higher median salaries. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA leads this group at $75,640, followed by Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $65,370, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA at $64,740, and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY-NJ at $61,360. Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA-NH offers $52,570. These variations show that earnings potential can differ significantly by location, with certain metro areas and states providing noticeably higher median pay than the national level, which may be an important factor when planning where to work.
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers have national employment of about 35,000, with projected employment growth of -5.5%. Despite this projected decline, the occupation is expected to have around 4,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that while the total number of jobs may shrink over time, there will still be ongoing opportunities due to factors such as turnover and other changes within the workforce. The -5.5% growth projection appears consistently across highlighted states and metro areas, indicating that the broader employment trend is similar in those locations. For career planning, this means prospective workers should be prepared for a competitive environment and may benefit from focusing on locations with stronger CareerGPS opportunity scores or higher employment levels. Related occupations such as craft artists, camera and photographic equipment repairers, watch and clock repairers, tailors, dressmakers, custom sewers, and automotive body and related repairers can also serve as alternatives to explore if someone wants to stay in a hands-on, detail-focused field.
Location makes a clear difference for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers. Among states, New York has the highest employment at 4,300 and a median salary of $61,720, with a strong CareerGPS opportunity score of 65.78. California combines a relatively high median salary of $60,790 with employment of 2,300 and the highest state opportunity score listed, at 67.38. Massachusetts, Washington, and Colorado also appear as notable options, with opportunity scores ranging from 56.29 to 65.87 and median salaries between $51,060 and $60,380. At the metro level, opportunity scores are even higher in some areas. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY-NJ both post opportunity scores above 77, with median salaries above $61,000. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA offers the highest listed metro salary at $75,640. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA-NH add further options with solid pay and opportunity scores above 63.
The typical education requirement for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers is a high school diploma or equivalent, making it a field that does not generally require a college degree to enter. From there, success depends heavily on building a strong skill set. Creativity and innovation are central, along with being highly detail oriented and having strong fine motor skills. Mechanical abilities and physical strength and stamina support the more hands-on and physical aspects of the work. Mathematics and science skills can help with the technical and measurement-related sides of the occupation, while critical and analytical thinking aid in solving problems and making precise decisions. Customer service skills are also important, particularly when interacting with clients or handling custom requests. For students and career changers, focusing on developing this mix of creative, technical, and interpersonal skills can align well with the expectations of the occupation, given the relatively accessible formal education requirement.
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