Etchers and Engravers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for etchers and engraverss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $46,320 ≈ $22/hr
National median salary $43,310
Total employment 7,750 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -0.7% Decline
Annual openings 900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 8,600 → 8,600 (-100)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

Mean annual wage $32,000–$39,000 $39,000–$43,000 $43,000–$47,000 $47,000–$52,000 $52,000–$67,000 U.S. mean $46,320

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. New Jersey$67,190
  2. Rhode Island$59,560
  3. Vermont$56,960
  4. Arizona$54,620
  5. Ohio$54,120

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Texas$32,030
  2. Louisiana$33,800
  3. Alabama$34,660
  4. South Carolina$36,510
  5. Oklahoma$37,450
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 New Jersey $67,190 $58,000 $32 +45.1% 60
2 Rhode Island $59,560 $63,250 $29 +28.6% 30
3 Vermont $56,960 $65,380 $27 +23% 40
4 Arizona $54,620 $59,940 $26 +17.9%
5 Ohio $54,120 $50,430 $26 +16.8% 320
6 Wisconsin $54,030 $50,290 $26 +16.6% 390
7 New York $53,890 $51,540 $26 +16.3% 520
8 Massachusetts $51,600 $50,710 $25 +11.4% 320
9 Washington $51,550 $43,680 $25 +11.3% 160
10 Maryland $51,460 $53,680 $25 +11.1% 110
11 California $51,150 $46,480 $25 +10.4% 1,040
12 Georgia $50,880 $40,190 $24 +9.8% 60
13 Maine $48,340 $47,520 $23 +4.4% 70
14 Michigan $47,940 $43,180 $23 +3.5% 390
15 Pennsylvania $47,270 $47,790 $23 +2.1% 260

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 46 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $64,630 $53,980
2 Columbus, OH $63,860 $61,710
3 Cleveland, OH $62,580 $56,290
4 Green Bay, WI $60,720 $61,220
5 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $58,020 $57,520 430
6 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $57,770 $52,470 90
7 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $56,470 $59,110 130
8 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $52,980 $49,590 90
9 Springfield, MA $51,000 $50,590 40
10 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $50,810 $52,690 30

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing etchers and engraverss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) $60,360 $58,660
2 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) $60,060 $54,750
3 Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods $60,000 $58,300 300
4 Apparel Manufacturing $55,740 $51,200 40
5 Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade $52,980 $54,010 540
6 Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing $52,450 $53,710 100
7 Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing $51,070 $54,490 220
8 Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) $50,270 $55,390 310
9 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) $49,390 $49,650 120
10 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers $48,940 $48,920 70
11 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing $48,880 $51,630 360
12 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers $48,880 $55,540 40

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
4,317
$10-20k
474
$20-30k
1,672
$30-40k
1,866
$40-50k
865
$50-60k
1,212
$60-70k
369
$70-80k
211
$80-90k
329
$90-100k
30
$100-110k
248
$120-130k
67
$140-150k
55
$150-160k
105
$200k+
181

Pay by age band

16-24
$28,082
25-34
$39,044
35-44
$55,900
45-54
$31,039
55-64
$31,520
65+
$15,535

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$32,003
Bachelors Degree
$28,237
GED or alternative credential
$26,692
Some college, but less than 1 year
$40,503
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$38,879
Associates Degree
$101,828
Grade 10
$11,017
No schooling completed
$37,918
12th grade - no diploma
$22,048
Grade 11
$13,446
Masters Degree
$24,870
Grade 6
$12,234
Grade 9

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
6,491 · $55,482
Part-time
1,849 · $21,689

Race / ethnicity

White
$36,974
Two or More Races
$26,569
Other
$18,519
Black
$21,361
Asian
$41,089
American Indian
$25,488

Top fields of study

Fine Arts
$59,200
Psychology
$647
Economics
$73,425
Accounting
Computer Science
$36,703
Hospitality Management
$34,742
Film Video And Photographic Arts
$30,747
Drama And Theater Arts
$30,586

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Operations Monitoring
3.1
Reading Comprehension
3.1
Monitoring
3.1
Critical Thinking
3.0
Active Listening
3.0
Operation and Control
3.0
Quality Control Analysis
3.0
Speaking
3.0
Judgment and Decision Making
2.9
Time Management
2.8
Social Perceptiveness
2.8
Troubleshooting
2.6

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do etchers and engravers make in the U.S.?

The median etchers and engravers salary in the United States is $43,310 per year (mean $46,320), and about 80% earn between $32,210 and $63,360.

How much do etchers and engravers make per hour?

Roughly $22 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $46,320 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays etchers and engravers the most?

New Jersey has the highest average pay for etchers and engravers at $67,190 per year (median $58,000).

What is the job outlook for etchers and engravers?

Employment is projected to change -0.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 900 openings per year.