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Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipModerate pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $52,540 Median per year · $25.26/hr Most earn $35,580–$87,540

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Rotate molds to distribute alloys and to prevent formation of air pockets.
  • Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
  • Write or modify design specifications such as the metal contents and weights of items.
  • Pierce and cut open designs in ornamentation, using hand drills and scroll saws.
  • Rout out locations where parts are to be joined to items, using routing machines.
  • Plate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals.

Job outlook

United States
3% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 3,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Jewelry, luggage, and leather goods retailers35.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)32.4%
  • Jewelry and silverware manufacturing15.4%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods6.4%
  • Personal and household goods repair and maintenance3.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Jeweler is not usually a straight-out-of-school job. Most people finish high school, then take a jewelry certificate or apprenticeship and work at the bench for about 2 to 4 years before they're fully doing this work on their own. Your pay near you and nationally is on the career page.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build hands-on skills, math, and art or design basics, which are the foundation for precise bench work.

  2. Jewelry making certificate or apprenticeship

    1-2 years

    Learn metalworking, stone setting, soldering, and repair under training, usually at a trade school or in a working jewelry shop.

  3. Gem and Diamond Worker

    1-2 years

    Work on stones and precious metal pieces under supervision, building speed, accuracy, and familiarity with real customer work.

  4. Jeweler

    Ongoing

    Design, fabricate, adjust, repair, or appraise jewelry on your own, with the skills built in earlier steps.

Where it can lead

  1. Jewelry Designer

    5+ years as a jeweler of experience first

    You spend more time creating original pieces and working with clients or brands on concepts, and less time on routine repair and fabrication.

  2. Jewelry Store Manager

    3-5 years as a jeweler of experience first

    You oversee staff, inventory, sales, and customer service, so strong people and business skills matter as much as bench skill.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take art, design, or drafting classesDrawing and technical design help you plan pieces and read the sketches and specs jewelers work from.
  • Take shop or metals classes if your school offers themHands-on experience with tools, soldering, and precise measuring builds the steady hands this job needs.
  • Get a part-time job that needs careful, detail-focused workRetail, crafts, or any job where you handle small items or customers shows you can be precise and reliable.
  • Join an art, craft, or STEM clubClubs give you projects to build and a chance to practice working with others on finished work.
  • Volunteer or shadow at a jewelry shop or craft studioSeeing real repairs and custom work helps you decide whether this career fits you.

In college

  • Take courses in metalsmithing, jewelry design, or fine artsThese classes teach fabrication, stone setting, and design skills that jewelry programs and employers expect.
  • Look into a jewelry or gemology certificate programA short certificate in jewelry making or gemology is a direct route to the training this career usually requires.
  • Apply for a campus job in a studio, makerspace, or art labWorking with tools and materials on a regular schedule builds the hands-on experience you'll need.
  • Join a jewelry, metalsmithing, or art clubClubs connect you with people in the field and give you projects to add to a portfolio.
  • Seek a summer job or internship at a jewelry shop or repair counterReal customer work and bench time show you how the job runs day to day and can lead to an apprenticeship.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local jeweler whether you can shadow them or sweep and clean the bench for a few hours. Seeing the work up close will tell you quickly if you enjoy it.
  • Look for certificate or apprenticeship programs near you and compare what hands-on time they offer, since that practice is what employers look for.
  • Keep a simple portfolio of any metal, wire, or drawing projects you make. It helps when you apply for apprenticeships or jobs.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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