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Watch and Clock Repairers

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipLower pressure

What they do

Repair, clean, and adjust mechanisms of timing instruments, such as watches and clocks. Includes watchmakers, watch technicians, and mechanical timepiece repairers.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower 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 $67,230 Median per year · $32.32/hr Most earn $34,240–$109,990

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Estimate repair costs and timepiece values.
  • Oil moving parts of timepieces.
  • Test timepiece accuracy and performance, using meters and other electronic instruments.
  • Fabricate parts for watches and clocks, using small lathes and other machines.
  • Disassemble timepieces and inspect them for defective, worn, misaligned, or rusty parts, using loupes.
  • Order supplies, including replacement parts, for timing instruments.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 100 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 retailers46.9%
  • Personal and household goods repair and maintenance34.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)8.8%

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

This is usually not a job you can start straight out of school. Most people finish high school, learn watch and clock work through a certificate program or apprenticeship, and often start in a related entry-level job, reaching this career in roughly 2 to 4 years. Pay varies by location, so check the career page for typical pay near you and nationally.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build math, science, and hands-on skills, such as shop or electronics, that help with precise, small-part work.

  2. Timing Device Assembler and Adjuster

    6 months to 1 year

    Start with an entry-level job putting together and adjusting timing instruments, which teaches you small-part handling and careful adjustment.

  3. Watchmaking certificate or apprenticeship

    1 to 3 years

    Learn repair, cleaning, and adjustment of watch and clock mechanisms through formal training or on-the-job mentoring under an experienced repairer.

  4. Watch and Clock Repairer

    Career level

    Repair, clean, and adjust watches and clocks for customers or repair shops, using the skills built in training and earlier jobs.

Where it can lead

  1. Master Watchmaker

    several years in watch repair of experience first

    Take on the most complex repairs, such as restoring antique or high-end timepieces, and often train others; this usually takes years of proven skill and a strong reputation.

  2. Watch Repair Shop Manager

    several years in watch repair of experience first

    Oversee repairs, staff, and customer work for a shop, which adds scheduling, quality control, and business skills to repair expertise.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and physicsPrecise measurement, gears, and forces are core to understanding how timepiece mechanisms work.
  • Take shop, drafting, or electronics classesHands-on work with tools and small parts builds the dexterity and care this job needs.
  • Get a part-time job in a jewelry or repair shopEven sweeping, cleaning, or handling customer items teaches you how a repair business runs and lets you meet people in the field.
  • Join a robotics, engineering, or model-building clubWorking on mechanisms with a team builds problem-solving skills and gives you projects to show later.
  • Volunteer to fix things at a community repair eventRepair cafés and similar events, if your town has them, let you practice on real broken items with supervision.

In college

  • Consider a certificate program in watchmaking or horologyMany schools and trade programs offer watchmaking or clock repair training that leads directly to this career.
  • Take courses in mechanical engineering technology or machiningThese classes teach mechanisms, tolerances, and precision tools that transfer well to timepiece repair.
  • Work a campus job that needs careful, detailed handsJobs in a lab, the bookstore repair desk, or equipment maintenance build precision and reliability.
  • Apply for a summer job or internship at a repair shop or manufacturerReal work experience counts toward the 2 to 4 years of related experience employers often look for.
  • Join a maker space or hobby clubRegular hands-on projects let you practice repair skills and build a portfolio of work you can show employers.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for a repair shop, jewelry store, or clock shop that takes on helpers or apprentices, and ask if you can watch the work and learn.
  • Practice fine motor skills now, like building model kits, working on small electronics, or fixing old mechanical gadgets, and keep notes on what you learned.
  • Ask a working watch or clock repairer about their training path. Many people find that real-world experience and mentors matter as much as the classroom.

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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