Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (SOC 51-9071) earn a median $52,540 a year ($25.26 an hour) in the United States, with 22,440 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What jewelers and precious stone and metal workers do
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers design, make, adjust, repair, and appraise jewelry and objects of gold, silver, platinum, and gems. The SOC definition also includes diamond polishers, gem cutters, and workers who do precision casting and modeling of jewelry. Repairs include resizing rings, replacing clasps and mountings, and soldering broken pieces, and new pieces are cut, filed, assembled, and polished. Handwork uses jewelers' tools, files, and polishing wheels, followed by cleaning in chemical baths, and the finished piece is examined under a magnifying glass or with precision measuring instruments. Custom designers create original pieces from gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones. Costs of labor and materials are computed to set production costs, and some workers appraise jewelry, metals, or gems. Retail salespeople who sell jewelry without making or repairing it are classified under sales occupations.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Antique Jewelry Repairer, Appraisal Technician (Appraisal Tech), Appraiser, Arborer, Artisan Jeweler.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.11 | $19.00 | $25.26 | $33.56 | $42.09 | $27.87 | 22,440 |
| Annual | $35,580 | $39,520 | $52,540 | $69,810 | $87,540 | $57,960 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where jewelers and precious stone and metal workers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $23.04 | $25.43 | $33.56 | $38.70 | $40.06 | $31.98 | 140 | 0.08 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $47,910 | $52,900 | $69,800 | $80,500 | $83,320 | $66,520 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $17.79 | $24.91 | $29.78 | $38.58 | $45.11 | $30.02 | 240 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| Annual | $36,990 | $51,820 | $61,940 | $80,240 | $93,840 | $62,440 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.86 | $17.86 | $29.67 | $41.09 | $49.06 | $33.04 | 4,300 | 0.44 | 3.07 |
| Annual | $37,160 | $37,160 | $61,720 | $85,460 | $102,040 | $68,730 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.36 | $22.86 | $29.23 | $36.57 | $39.26 | $29.73 | 2,300 | 0.13 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $38,180 | $47,540 | $60,790 | $76,060 | $81,660 | $61,830 | ||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $19.16 | $23.80 | $29.03 | $30.71 | $35.75 | $28.08 | 200 | 0.09 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $39,850 | $49,500 | $60,380 | $63,880 | $74,350 | $58,410 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.86 | $17.86 | $29.67 | $41.09 | $49.06 | $33.04 | 4,300 | 0.44 | 3.07 |
| Annual | $37,160 | $37,160 | $61,720 | $85,460 | $102,040 | $68,730 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.36 | $22.86 | $29.23 | $36.57 | $39.26 | $29.73 | 2,300 | 0.13 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $38,180 | $47,540 | $60,790 | $76,060 | $81,660 | $61,830 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.65 | $18.73 | $22.88 | $29.79 | $38.79 | $25.88 | 1,810 | 0.13 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $32,560 | $38,950 | $47,590 | $61,960 | $80,680 | $53,830 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.48 | $18.37 | $24.74 | $36.19 | $47.03 | $28.11 | 1,070 | 0.11 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $36,360 | $38,210 | $51,470 | $75,270 | $97,810 | $58,460 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $17.55 | $18.83 | $24.55 | $28.16 | $37.98 | $26.39 | 830 | 0.23 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $36,510 | $39,170 | $51,060 | $58,570 | $79,000 | $54,890 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $26.84 | $26.84 | $39.52 | $40.73 | $40.98 | $35.51 | 50 | 0.13 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $55,830 | $55,830 | $82,200 | $84,710 | $85,230 | $73,870 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $22.00 | $27.59 | $36.37 | $45.18 | $48.08 | $35.29 | 240 | 0.10 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $45,760 | $57,380 | $75,640 | $93,970 | $100,000 | $73,400 | ||||
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | Hourly | $26.69 | $27.11 | $35.48 | $44.95 | $44.95 | $35.72 | 40 | 0.16 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $55,520 | $56,380 | $73,800 | $93,490 | $93,490 | $74,290 | ||||
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | Hourly | $20.10 | $27.42 | $35.41 | $39.43 | $43.87 | $33.01 | 50 | 0.18 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $41,810 | $57,030 | $73,650 | $82,020 | $91,250 | $68,660 | ||||
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | Hourly | $15.74 | $25.10 | $34.33 | $38.10 | $55.53 | $35.31 | 40 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $32,730 | $52,200 | $71,410 | $79,240 | $115,500 | $73,440 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.86 | $17.86 | $29.50 | $41.09 | $48.73 | $32.14 | 4,440 | 0.47 | 3.24 |
| Annual | $37,160 | $37,160 | $61,360 | $85,460 | $101,350 | $66,840 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.67 | $24.26 | $29.40 | $35.29 | $39.08 | $29.71 | 1,190 | 0.19 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $42,990 | $50,460 | $61,150 | $73,400 | $81,280 | $61,790 | ||||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Hourly | $17.59 | $20.14 | $23.46 | $29.25 | $37.12 | $25.60 | 710 | 0.99 | 6.89 |
| Annual | $36,590 | $41,890 | $48,800 | $60,840 | $77,210 | $53,250 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $17.96 | $21.99 | $25.27 | $28.19 | $38.32 | $28.03 | 520 | 0.19 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $37,360 | $45,740 | $52,570 | $58,640 | $79,700 | $58,310 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.11 | $21.32 | $23.20 | $34.98 | $41.89 | $27.47 | 520 | 0.13 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $35,580 | $44,350 | $48,250 | $72,750 | $87,120 | $57,130 | ||||
Top industries employing jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Retailers employ 52.3% of jewelers and precious stone and metal workers nationally (11,740 jobs) at a median $53,990 a year ($25.96 an hour), followed by Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing (22.6%) and Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) (9.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Retailers NAICS 458300 | 11,740 | 52.3% | $53,990 | $25.96 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing NAICS 339900 | 5,080 | 22.6% | $48,800 | $23.46 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 2,100 | 9.4% | $58,320 | $28.04 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811400 | 1,210 | 5.4% | $46,390 | $22.30 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 380 | 1.7% | $84,800 | $40.77 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (22,440). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,640 for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in May 2021 and $52,540 in May 2025, with employment of 24,350 and 22,440.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,640 | $22.42 | 24,350 |
| May 2022 | $47,140 | $22.66 | 26,280 |
| May 2023 | $47,450 | $22.81 | 24,060 |
| May 2024 | $49,140 | $23.63 | 23,420 |
| May 2025 | $52,540 | $25.26 | 22,440 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $33.56 | $69,800 | $47,910 | $83,320 | 140 | 0.08 | 0.58 |
| 2 | Virginia profile | $29.78 | $61,940 | $36,990 | $93,840 | 240 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| 3 | New York profile | $29.67 | $61,720 | $37,160 | $102,040 | 4,300 | 0.44 | 3.07 |
| 4 | California profile | $29.23 | $60,790 | $38,180 | $81,660 | 2,300 | 0.13 | 0.88 |
| 5 | South Carolina profile | $29.03 | $60,380 | $39,850 | $74,350 | 200 | 0.09 | 0.59 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $29.03 | $60,380 | $42,210 | $116,020 | 290 | 0.08 | 0.56 |
| 7 | New Jersey profile | $28.60 | $59,480 | $34,790 | $93,350 | 780 | 0.18 | 1.27 |
| 8 | Vermont profile | $28.16 | $58,570 | $36,960 | $79,820 | 50 | 0.16 | 1.12 |
| 9 | Kansas profile | $27.75 | $57,730 | $35,930 | $77,410 | 110 | 0.07 | 0.51 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $27.46 | $57,120 | $37,020 | $83,420 | 220 | 0.08 | 0.54 |
| 11 | North Dakota profile | $27.42 | $57,020 | $38,980 | $82,020 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.76 |
| 12 | Michigan profile | $27.21 | $56,610 | $37,770 | $79,970 | 460 | 0.10 | 0.72 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $26.99 | $56,140 | $39,840 | $63,140 | 490 | 0.17 | 1.16 |
| 14 | Wisconsin profile | $26.84 | $55,830 | $33,270 | $77,750 | 280 | 0.10 | 0.66 |
| 15 | North Carolina profile | $26.65 | $55,420 | $32,470 | $80,200 | 770 | 0.16 | 1.08 |
| 16 | Mississippi profile | $26.45 | $55,010 | $29,050 | $68,990 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.27 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $26.44 | $54,990 | $32,430 | $78,580 | 610 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.39 | $54,880 | $38,510 | $93,490 | 760 | 0.13 | 0.87 |
| 19 | Minnesota profile | $26.11 | $54,310 | $23,150 | $76,790 | 220 | 0.08 | 0.53 |
| 20 | Florida profile | $24.74 | $51,470 | $36,360 | $97,810 | 1,070 | 0.11 | 0.74 |
| 21 | Louisiana profile | $24.72 | $51,420 | $26,740 | $73,880 | 280 | 0.15 | 1.00 |
| 22 | Massachusetts profile | $24.55 | $51,060 | $36,510 | $79,000 | 830 | 0.23 | 1.58 |
| 23 | Iowa profile | $24.17 | $50,280 | $37,370 | $69,930 | 160 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 24 | Alabama profile | $23.50 | $48,890 | $31,910 | $66,440 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.37 |
| 25 | Rhode Island profile | $23.46 | $48,800 | $39,190 | $77,650 | 540 | 1.09 | 7.52 |
| 26 | Hawaii profile | $23.29 | $48,450 | $30,400 | $92,880 | 170 | 0.27 | 1.86 |
| 27 | Tennessee profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $31,140 | $77,230 | 370 | 0.11 | 0.79 |
| 28 | Ohio profile | $23.17 | $48,190 | $34,080 | $87,170 | 430 | 0.08 | 0.54 |
| 29 | Maine profile | $23.11 | $48,080 | $34,600 | $90,570 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.53 |
| 30 | Georgia profile | $22.99 | $47,810 | $22,720 | $83,200 | 420 | 0.09 | 0.59 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $22.90 | $47,620 | $28,720 | $77,270 | 380 | 0.12 | 0.82 |
| 32 | Texas profile | $22.88 | $47,590 | $32,560 | $80,680 | 1,810 | 0.13 | 0.89 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $22.64 | $47,090 | $31,190 | $60,370 | 130 | 0.15 | 1.05 |
| 34 | Kentucky profile | $22.64 | $47,090 | $33,830 | $82,420 | 320 | 0.16 | 1.10 |
| 35 | Nebraska profile | $22.56 | $46,920 | $37,580 | $71,970 | 120 | 0.12 | 0.81 |
| 36 | West Virginia profile | $22.29 | $46,370 | $29,650 | $56,380 | 30 | 0.04 | 0.31 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $22.21 | $46,200 | $30,000 | $58,440 | 230 | 0.27 | 1.84 |
| 38 | Maryland profile | $21.84 | $45,430 | $34,380 | $64,890 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.21 |
| 39 | South Dakota profile | $21.69 | $45,110 | $37,350 | $61,770 | 90 | 0.21 | 1.44 |
| 40 | Oregon profile | $21.40 | $44,510 | $38,550 | $82,840 | 530 | 0.27 | 1.87 |
| 41 | New Hampshire profile | $20.92 | $43,520 | $36,170 | $72,800 | 170 | 0.25 | 1.72 |
| 42 | Arizona profile | $20.31 | $42,240 | $34,850 | $75,920 | 440 | 0.14 | 0.95 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $20.06 | $41,720 | $31,420 | $62,170 | 180 | 0.11 | 0.75 |
| 44 | Nevada profile | $19.47 | $40,510 | $28,610 | $72,730 | 330 | 0.21 | 1.47 |
| 45 | Utah profile | $19.16 | $39,860 | $30,450 | $63,340 | 420 | 0.24 | 1.69 |
| 46 | Montana profile | $18.07 | $37,580 | $28,590 | $74,910 | 80 | 0.16 | 1.12 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | $17.28 | $35,950 | $27,910 | $65,990 | 270 | 0.20 | 1.42 |
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9071 Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9071, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9071.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.