51 Series · SOC 51-9071
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $52,540
- Median / year
- $87,540
- Top 10% earn
- -5.5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 22,440
- US workers
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers earn a median of $52,540 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $52,540, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,580 (10th percentile) to $87,540 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 22,440 US workers. Connecticut pays the most ($69,800), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers earn a median of $52,540, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 38% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #27 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 5.5% by 2033.
- $52,540
- Median annual wage
- Top 62%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #27 of 105
- in Production
- 2.5×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Connecticut at $69,800. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (SOC 51-9071) pays a national median of $52,540 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,580 at the 10th percentile to $87,540 at the 90th, with a mean of $57,960 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 22,440 Americans work in this occupation across 47 reporting states and 96 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -5.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 4,000 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and long-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Connecticut pays the highest state median at $69,800, which is +33% above the national figure. The top metro is Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT at $82,200 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$52,540
per year
Median Hourly
$25.26/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$57,960
average
Employment
22,440
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$52,540 Bottom 38% higher than 38% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers sits on the slower-growing side at -5.5% growth and $52,540 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-5.5%
Declining
Annual Openings
4,000
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Long-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Examine gems during processing to ensure accuracy of angles and positions of cuts or bores, using magnifying glasses, loupes, or shadowgraphs.
- ▸ Assign polish, symmetry, and clarity grades to stones, according to established grading systems.
- ▸ Clean and polish metal items and jewelry pieces, using jewelers' tools, polishing wheels, and chemical baths.
- ▸ Smooth soldered joints and rough spots, using hand files and emery paper, and polish smoothed areas with polishing wheels or buffing wire.
- ▸ Create jewelry from materials such as gold, silver, platinum, and precious or semiprecious stones.
- ▸ Examine diamonds or gems to ascertain the shape, cut, and width of cut stones, or to select the cuts that will result in the biggest, best quality stones.
- ▸ Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations, and other relevant economic factors.
- ▸ Immerse stones in prescribed chemical solutions to determine specific gravities and key properties of gemstones or substitutes.
- ▸ Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
- ▸ Examine assembled or finished products to ensure conformance to specifications, using magnifying glasses or precision measuring instruments.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$35,580
25th Percentile
$39,520
Median
$52,540
75th Percentile
$69,810
90th Percentile
$87,540
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $69,800 | +33% above national |
| 2 | Virginia | $61,940 | +18% above national |
| 3 | New York | $61,720 | +17% above national |
| 4 | California | $60,790 | +16% above national |
| 5 | South Carolina | $60,380 | +15% above national |
| 6 | Washington | $60,380 | +15% above national |
| 7 | New Jersey | $59,480 | +13% above national |
| 8 | Vermont | $58,570 | +11% above national |
| 9 | Kansas | $57,730 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $57,120 | +9% above national |
| 11 | North Dakota | $57,020 | +9% above national |
| 12 | Michigan | $56,610 | +8% above national |
| 13 | Missouri | $56,140 | +7% above national |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $55,830 | +6% above national |
| 15 | North Carolina | $55,420 | +5% above national |
| 16 | Mississippi | $55,010 | +5% above national |
| 17 | Illinois | $54,990 | +5% above national |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $54,880 | +4% above national |
| 19 | Minnesota | $54,310 | +3% above national |
| 20 | Florida | $51,470 | 2% below national |
| 21 | Louisiana | $51,420 | 2% below national |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $51,060 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Iowa | $50,280 | 4% below national |
| 24 | Alabama | $48,890 | 7% below national |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $48,800 | 7% below national |
| 26 | Hawaii | $48,450 | 8% below national |
| 27 | Tennessee | $48,240 | 8% below national |
| 28 | Ohio | $48,190 | 8% below national |
| 29 | Maine | $48,080 | 8% below national |
| 30 | Georgia | $47,810 | 9% below national |
| 31 | Indiana | $47,620 | 9% below national |
| 32 | Texas | $47,590 | 9% below national |
| 33 | Idaho | $47,090 | 10% below national |
| 34 | Kentucky | $47,090 | 10% below national |
| 35 | Nebraska | $46,920 | 11% below national |
| 36 | West Virginia | $46,370 | 12% below national |
| 37 | New Mexico | $46,200 | 12% below national |
| 38 | Maryland | $45,430 | 14% below national |
| 39 | South Dakota | $45,110 | 14% below national |
| 40 | Oregon | $44,510 | 15% below national |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $43,520 | 17% below national |
| 42 | Arizona | $42,240 | 20% below national |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $41,720 | 21% below national |
| 44 | Nevada | $40,510 | 23% below national |
| 45 | Utah | $39,860 | 24% below national |
| 46 | Montana | $37,580 | 28% below national |
| 47 | Arkansas | $35,950 | 32% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 96 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $82,200 | +56% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $75,640 | +44% above national |
| 3 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $73,800 | +40% above national |
| 4 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $73,650 | +40% above national |
| 5 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $71,410 | +36% above national |
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $65,370 | +24% above national |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $64,740 | +23% above national |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $64,620 | +23% above national |
| 9 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $63,650 | +21% above national |
| 10 | Ann Arbor, MI | $62,970 | +20% above national |
| 11 | Madison, WI | $62,700 | +19% above national |
| 12 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $62,450 | +19% above national |
| 13 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $62,400 | +19% above national |
| 14 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $61,360 | +17% above national |
| 15 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $61,150 | +16% above national |
| 16 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $61,000 | +16% above national |
| 17 | Wilmington, NC | $60,540 | +15% above national |
| 18 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $60,440 | +15% above national |
| 19 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,420 | +15% above national |
| 20 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,870 | +14% above national |
| 21 | Syracuse, NY | $58,890 | +12% above national |
| 22 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $58,760 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Birmingham, AL | $58,550 | +11% above national |
| 24 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $58,390 | +11% above national |
| 25 | Winston-Salem, NC | $58,310 | +11% above national |
| 26 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $58,030 | +10% above national |
| 27 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $57,930 | +10% above national |
| 28 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $57,290 | +9% above national |
| 29 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $56,830 | +8% above national |
| 30 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $56,730 | +8% above national |
| 31 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $56,140 | +7% above national |
| 32 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $56,120 | +7% above national |
| 33 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $56,060 | +7% above national |
| 34 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $55,790 | +6% above national |
| 35 | Boise City, ID | $55,560 | +6% above national |
| 36 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $55,560 | +6% above national |
| 37 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $55,340 | +5% above national |
| 38 | Omaha, NE-IA | $55,000 | +5% above national |
| 39 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $54,990 | +5% above national |
| 40 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $54,960 | +5% above national |
| 41 | Richmond, VA | $54,860 | +4% above national |
| 42 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $54,760 | +4% above national |
| 43 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $54,750 | +4% above national |
| 44 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $54,610 | +4% above national |
| 45 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $54,310 | +3% above national |
| 46 | Santa Fe, NM | $54,080 | +3% above national |
| 47 | Asheville, NC | $53,450 | +2% above national |
| 48 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $52,570 | same as national |
| 49 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $52,520 | same as national |
| 50 | Barnstable Town, MA | $52,000 | 1% below national |
| 51 | Baton Rouge, LA | $51,420 | 2% below national |
| 52 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $50,690 | 4% below national |
| 53 | Rochester, NY | $50,600 | 4% below national |
| 54 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $50,570 | 4% below national |
| 55 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $50,400 | 4% below national |
| 56 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $49,610 | 6% below national |
| 57 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $49,570 | 6% below national |
| 58 | Worcester, MA | $49,490 | 6% below national |
| 59 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $49,400 | 6% below national |
| 60 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $49,350 | 6% below national |
| 61 | Knoxville, TN | $49,230 | 6% below national |
| 62 | Salem, OR | $48,980 | 7% below national |
| 63 | Oklahoma City, OK | $48,890 | 7% below national |
| 64 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $48,800 | 7% below national |
| 65 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $48,450 | 8% below national |
| 66 | Springfield, MA | $48,350 | 8% below national |
| 67 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,250 | 8% below national |
| 68 | Pittsburgh, PA | $48,240 | 8% below national |
| 69 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $48,230 | 8% below national |
| 70 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $48,190 | 8% below national |
| 71 | Albuquerque, NM | $47,960 | 9% below national |
| 72 | Columbus, OH | $47,890 | 9% below national |
| 73 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $47,510 | 10% below national |
| 74 | Akron, OH | $47,460 | 10% below national |
| 75 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $46,760 | 11% below national |
| 76 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $46,350 | 12% below national |
| 77 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $46,080 | 12% below national |
| 78 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $45,940 | 13% below national |
| 79 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $45,400 | 14% below national |
| 80 | Rapid City, SD | $45,110 | 14% below national |
| 81 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $44,950 | 14% below national |
| 82 | Bend, OR | $44,570 | 15% below national |
| 83 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $44,450 | 15% below national |
| 84 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $42,950 | 18% below national |
| 85 | Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $42,600 | 19% below national |
| 86 | Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $42,570 | 19% below national |
| 87 | Reno, NV | $41,600 | 21% below national |
| 88 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $41,600 | 21% below national |
| 89 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $40,510 | 23% below national |
| 90 | Tulsa, OK | $40,420 | 23% below national |
| 91 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $40,260 | 23% below national |
| 92 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $39,860 | 24% below national |
| 93 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,880 | 26% below national |
| 94 | Ogden, UT | $38,410 | 27% below national |
| 95 | Tucson, AZ | $38,390 | 27% below national |
| 96 | Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $36,440 | 31% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers make? ▼
What state pays Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers? ▼
Is Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers a good career? ▼
How does Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $69,810/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Connecticut leads at $69,800/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.