Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for jewelers and precious stone and metal workerss 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 $57,960 ≈ $28/hr
National median salary $52,540
Total employment 22,440 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -5.5% Decline
Annual openings 4,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 35,100 → 33,200 (-1,900)
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.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. New York$68,730
  2. Connecticut$66,520
  3. Washington$65,850
  4. Virginia$62,440
  5. California$61,830

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Arkansas$42,870
  2. West Virginia$43,740
  3. Utah$44,360
  4. Oklahoma$44,390
  5. Montana$46,150
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 New York $68,730 $61,720 $33 +18.6% 4,300
2 Connecticut $66,520 $69,800 $32 +14.8% 140
3 Washington $65,850 $60,380 $32 +13.6% 290
4 Virginia $62,440 $61,940 $30 +7.7% 240
5 California $61,830 $60,790 $30 +6.7% 2,300
6 New Jersey $61,210 $59,480 $29 +5.6% 780
7 Vermont $58,700 $58,570 $28 +1.3% 50
8 Colorado $58,680 $57,120 $28 +1.2% 220
9 North Carolina $58,650 $55,420 $28 +1.2% 770
10 Florida $58,460 $51,470 $28 +0.9% 1,070
11 South Carolina $58,410 $60,380 $28 +0.8% 200
12 Michigan $57,620 $56,610 $28 -0.6% 460
13 Maine $57,060 $48,080 $27 -1.6% 50
14 Pennsylvania $56,960 $54,880 $27 -1.7% 760
15 Kansas $56,210 $57,730 $27 -3% 110

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 96 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $82,200 $73,870 50
2 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $75,640 $73,400 240
3 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $73,800 $74,290 40
4 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $73,650 $68,660 50
5 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $71,410 $73,440 40
6 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $65,370 $68,280 110
7 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $64,740 $69,250 70
8 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $64,620 $67,870 260
9 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $63,650 $68,190 50
10 Ann Arbor, MI $62,970 $65,200 40

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing jewelers and precious stone and metal workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Management of Companies and Enterprises $84,800 $86,620 380
2 Management of Companies and Enterprises $84,800 $86,620 380
3 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $84,800 $86,620 380
4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $59,330 $62,240 460
5 Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $59,330 $62,240 460
6 Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods $58,320 $65,190 2,100
7 Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade $58,320 $65,280 2,120
8 Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) $58,320 $65,190 2,100
9 Specialized Design Services $55,340 $57,270 300
10 Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Retailers $53,990 $57,710 11,740
11 Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers $53,410 $57,530 12,070
12 Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local $52,540 $57,960 22,440

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
27,470
$10-20k
4,430
$20-30k
3,388
$30-40k
6,745
$40-50k
4,556
$50-60k
3,594
$60-70k
1,776
$70-80k
1,173
$80-90k
548
$90-100k
200
$100-110k
351
$110-120k
194
$120-130k
475
$130-140k
363
$140-150k
182
$150-160k
446
$200k+
707

Pay by age band

16-24
$17,365
25-34
$26,012
35-44
$43,120
45-54
$26,564
55-64
$22,244
65+
$20,548

Education level

Bachelors Degree
$29,241
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$15,501
Regular high school diploma
$26,153
Some college, but less than 1 year
$26,349
Associates Degree
$28,506
Masters Degree
$69,686
GED or alternative credential
$15,288
12th grade - no diploma
$15,197
No schooling completed
$37,883
Grade 11
$19,973
Grade 10
$13,702
Professional degree
$14,960
Grade 8
$13,105
Grade 9
$29,870
Grade 5
$43,381
Grade 6
$9,206
Doctorate degree

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
24,786 · $53,944
Part-time
6,774 · $27,458

Race / ethnicity

White
$30,131
Two or More Races
$15,892
Asian
$47,867
Black
$5,031
Other
$27,418
American Indian
$9,323
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$4,859

Top fields of study

Fine Arts
$30,448
General Business
$34,225
Commercial Art And Graphic Design
$27,554
Accounting
$332
Business Management And Administration
$23,232
Economics
$35,311
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$23,213
English Language And Literature
$33,119

Top Skills

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

Active Listening
3.1
Critical Thinking
3.0
Speaking
3.0
Judgment and Decision Making
2.9
Social Perceptiveness
2.9
Coordination
2.9
Monitoring
2.8
Reading Comprehension
2.8
Service Orientation
2.6
Time Management
2.6
Complex Problem Solving
2.6
Writing
2.5

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make in the U.S.?

The median jewelers and precious stone and metal workers salary in the United States is $52,540 per year (mean $57,960), and about 80% earn between $35,580 and $87,540.

How much do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make per hour?

Roughly $28 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $57,960 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays jewelers and precious stone and metal workers the most?

New York has the highest average pay for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers at $68,730 per year (median $61,720).

What is the job outlook for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers?

Employment is projected to change -5.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 4,000 openings per year.