What Can a Jeweler Earn?

The last government survey, conducted in 2012 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pegged median annual wage for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers at $37,960, or about $18.25 an hour. The highest 10 percent earned almost $62,000.

However, an older survey of bench jewelers, conducted by region and by skill level, found that bench jewelers working in the very expensive Northeastern United States were earning more than $100,000.

Do I Have What it Takes?

If you have the following skills and abilities, you would make a great jeweler!

• An eye for detail. Creating jewelry requires concentration and patience. Bench jewelers must give attention to large and small details on the pieces they make.
• Arm and hand steadiness and control, plus finger dexterity. Jewelers must precisely move their fingers in order to grasp, manipulate, and assemble very small objects.

What's the Workplace Like?

Whether you're working in a retail store, a trade shop, or a manufacturing or design facility, most people would agree: A jeweler's workshop is a pretty great place to hang out.

• Jewelers spend a lot of time at a workbench, using different tools. They often enlarge their work using magnifying headpieces or microscopes.
• Computers are also becoming an increasingly important tool in the jewelry industry as computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) save time and resources.

What Does a Jeweler Do?

One of the most desirable things about being a jeweler is that no day is the same as the day before. You will always be learning new things, solving new problems, creating something different. Some of the tasks you will do in your job include:

• Create jewelry from gold, silver, platinum, and precious gemstones.
• Shape metal to hold the gems when making individual pieces.