Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Salary: $49,140 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 23,420 jewelers and precious stone and metal workers work nationally, and $49,140 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.6% annual decline.
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about jewelers and precious stone and metal workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a jewelers and precious stone and metal workers?
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9071.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 23,420 workers.
What does a jewelers and precious stone and metal workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Thinking Creatively, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,140 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $62,277 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,670 |
| 25th percentile | $49,503 |
| Median (50th) | $60,635 |
| 75th percentile | $72,167 |
| 90th percentile | $80,693 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Speaking, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing, Design, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -7.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -15.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 23,420.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do jewelers and precious stone and metal workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 23,420 | 19.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 23,420 | 19.4% |
| Retail Trade | 12,050 | 10.0% |
| Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers | 11,520 | 9.5% |
| Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Retailers | 11,190 | 9.2% |
| Manufacturing | 6,180 | 5.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 3,230 | $62,700 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 53,380 | $49,900 |
| Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other | 20,270 | $42,750 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 14,590 | $47,450 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | 117,470 | $60,850 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
23,420 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers shrank from 13,420 in 2009 to 10,300 in 2025 (23.2%).
Historical employment for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$49,140 Median pay (BLS national)
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers earn $49,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Salary distribution for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
9,482 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -7.9%
8,730 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -15.2%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-1.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 4,750 employees, $63,710 avg wage
- CA: 2,700 employees, $60,700 avg wage
- TX: 1,780 employees, $53,930 avg wage
- FL: 1,160 employees, $53,680 avg wage
- IL: 990 employees, $49,910 avg wage
- WA: 850 employees, $64,900 avg wage
- NJ: 850 employees, $43,680 avg wage
- RI: 620 employees, $50,410 avg wage
- MA: 550 employees, N/A avg wage
- OH: 530 employees, $51,330 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 5,010 employees, $60,850 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 1,500 employees, $58,100 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 770 employees, $51,570 avg wage
- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA: 750 employees, $49,250 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 670 employees, $66,890 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 530 employees, $55,840 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 360 employees, N/A avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 330 employees, $59,940 avg wage
- Salt Lake City-Murray, UT: 300 employees, $47,900 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 280 employees, $66,000 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers is about 23,420 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Skills
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Speaking.
Required skills for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers include Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing, Design, Mechanical, Sales and Marketing.
Knowledge areas required for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Finger Dexterity, Near Vision, Manual Dexterity, Control Precision.
Required abilities for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
Daily Activities
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers spend their time on activities such as Thinking Creatively, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.
Most important work activities for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.
About
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers earn $49,140 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-9071 - Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers reports an average salary of $62,277.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 23,420 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.