Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Salary
Production Occupations · 22K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$52,540
Median hourly
$25
Average annual
$57,960
Typical range
$35,580–$87,540
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers is $52,540 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $25 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Design, fabricate, adjust, repair, or appraise jewelry, gold, silver, other precious metals, or gems..
Most earn between $35,580 and $87,540 a year. There are roughly 22K people employed as jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
- Hourly
- $25.26
- Daily
- $202
- Weekly
- $1,010
- Bi-weekly
- $2,021
- Monthly
- $4,378
- Annual
- $52,540
$52,540 a year is around the 50th percentile for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workerss. The median is $52,540.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Connecticut$69,800
- 2Virginia$61,940
- 3New York$61,720
- 4California$60,790
- 5South Carolina$60,380
- 6Washington$60,380
- 7New Jersey$59,480
- 8Vermont$58,570
- 9Kansas$57,730
- 10Colorado$57,120
- 11North Dakota$57,020
- 12Michigan$56,610
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$82,200
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$75,640
- 3Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA$73,800
- 4Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$73,650
- 5Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$71,410
- 6Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$65,370
- 7San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$64,740
- 8San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$64,620
- 9Durham-Chapel Hill, NC$63,650
- 10Ann Arbor, MI$62,970
- 11Madison, WI$62,700
- 12Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$62,450
Related job titles
Employers advertise Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers$52,540
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
- Etchers and Engravers$43,310
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,170
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners$50,060
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers$37,800
What a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers does
- Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.
- Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
- Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
- Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
- Examine gem surfaces and internal structures, using polariscopes, refractometers, microscopes, and other optical instruments, to differentiate between stones, to identify rare specimens, or to detect flaws, defects, or peculiarities affecting gem values.
- Identify and document stones' clarity characteristics, using plot diagrams.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers make?
- The median annual wage for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers is $52,540 ($25 per hour). Pay ranges from about $35,580 at the 10th percentile to $87,540 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $57,960, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workerss the most?
- Connecticut has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $69,800.
- Is Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 22K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers do?
- Advise customers and others on the best use of gems to create attractive jewelry items.; Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.; Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems..