Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
.jpg)
Jewelers
Jewelers fabricate and repair jewelry articles. Make models or molds to create jewelry items.
Table of contents
What they do
Jewelers fabricate and repair jewelry articles. Make models or molds to create jewelry items.
- Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
- Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
- Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
- Make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Jewelers smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire. They make repairs, such as enlarging or reducing ring sizes, soldering pieces of jewelry together, and replacing broken clasps and mountings.
A typical day for a Jeweler will also include:
- Compute costs of labor and materials in order to determine production costs of products and articles.
- Mark and drill holes in jewelry mountings in order to center stones according to design specifications.
- Examine gemstone surfaces and internal structures to evaluate genuineness, quality, and value, using polariscopes, refractometers, and other optical instruments.
- Position stones and metal pieces, and set, mount, and secure items in place, using setting and hand tools.
- Select and acquire metals and gems for designs.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Jewelers also rotate molds in order to distribute molten material and prevent the formation of air pockets. They may also assemble and secure mold sections used to cast metal articles and pieces.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Jewelers place metal samples in frames, pack raw rubber around samples, and clamp samples, frames, and rubber into vulcanizing machines. They might also fabricate, modify, or repair jigs, fixtures, and hand tools such as scrapers, cutters, gougers, and shapers.
In addition, they remove molds from cast articles, clean them, and apply shellac and powder to preserve them for reuse.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them weigh, mix, and melt metal alloys or materials needed for jewelry models.
To some Jewelers, it is also their responsibility to pour molten metal alloys or other materials into molds in order to cast models of jewelry.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
53% said they were satisfied with their job and 28% said they found their job meaningful.
My name is Elizabeth Arnold, and I am the owner of a small jewelry design and fabrication business Alloys by Arnold. I am a jeweler/goldsmith who after getting a four-year degree in art went back to school for a two year jewelry fabrication program, then worked in a busy mid-size jewelry making studio for three … Read More
A typical day for me starts with arriving to our facilities and lining out jobs that are of importance by completion dates. I then sit down and focus on the job at hand. We have to diligently study the design as well as the stone(s) before setting, determine the best way to set, and make … Read More
I am Nicolas Tranchant, the founder and manager of Vivalatina Jewelry Brand. I manage a team of 4 (including me). Being a Jeweler is nurturing one’s creativity and enjoying giving life to precious metals, that can be set with gemstones. A jeweler must be able to understand his customers’ needs and transpose them on paper … Read More
Hitesh Patel is the founder of RRPJewellers, a jewelry manufacturing company based in Surat, India. What is it like being a jeweler? Becoming a jeweler is an amazing opportunity. You get to craft beautiful pieces of jewelry which once worn by a customer will light up their face and at that moment you will also … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
Suitable for people who wants job security and a good working condition.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Salary is below average.
Demand for this career is declining.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Jewelers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $26,050 to $32,650 per year or $13 to $16 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $77,330 | $37 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $56,730 | $27 |
| Median | $41,900 | $20 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $32,650 | $16 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $26,050 | $13 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Jewelers based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $64880 | $31.19 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $58580 | $28.16 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $50280 | $24.17 |
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores | $48520 | $23.33 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $43260 | $20.80 |
| Employment Services | $43210 | $20.78 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $42740 | $20.55 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | $41710 | $20.05 |
| Nonferrous Metal Production and Processing | $39310 | $18.90 |
| Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | $37960 | $18.25 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Jewelers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Jewelers including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores | 7670 | $48520 | $23.33 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5150 | $43260 | $20.80 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | 2940 | $58580 | $28.16 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | 750 | $41710 | $20.05 |
| Specialized Design Services | 450 | $37720 | $18.14 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 240 | $42740 | $20.55 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | 230 | $64880 | $31.19 |
| Employment Services | 100 | $43210 | $20.78 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 70 | $50280 | $24.17 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers | $33550 | $16.13 |
.jpg)
What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Jewelry Arts
Metal Arts
Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
They also like working with forms, designs, and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Don’t know which career to pursue?
Take the career quiz to find careers that match your personality type.
Take The Career Quiz