Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Median $58,040
Occupation · SOC 51-9071
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers: pay and where the jobs are
What jewelers and precious stone and metal workers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$52,540 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $57,960
- Median hourly wage
- $25.26
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.87
- Employment
- 22,440
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-9071.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among jewelers and precious stone and metal workers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make?
The median annual wage for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers was $52,540 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,580 and the highest-paid 10% more than $87,540. As an hourly rate, the median is $25.26. About 22,440 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Connecticut ($69,800), Virginia ($61,940) and New York ($61,720). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in North Dakota.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,580 | $17.11 | $2,965 | $2,564 |
| 25th percentile | $39,520 | $19.00 | $3,293 | $2,828 |
| Median | $52,540 | $25.26 | $4,378 | $3,700 |
| 75th percentile | $69,810 | $33.56 | $5,818 | $4,828 |
| 90th percentile | $87,540 | $42.09 | $7,295 | $5,868 |
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers: pay by state
47 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$53,952 take-home in national prices
2
$52,598 take-home in national prices
3
$52,275 take-home in national prices
Where a median jewelers and precious stone and metal worker paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 140 | $69,800 | $47,910 | $83,320 | $54,496 | $52,598 |
| Virginia | 240 | $61,940 | $36,990 | $93,840 | $49,201 | $48,664 |
| New York | 4,300 | $61,720 | $37,160 | $102,040 | $48,738 | $45,161 |
| California | 2,300 | $60,790 | $38,180 | $81,660 | $48,548 | $43,847 |
| South Carolina | 200 | $60,380 | $39,850 | $74,350 | $49,007 | $52,275 |
| Washington | 290 | $60,380 | $42,210 | $116,020 | $49,858 | $46,590 |
| New Jersey | 780 | $59,480 | $34,790 | $93,350 | $47,793 | $43,926 |
| Vermont | 50 | $58,570 | $36,960 | $79,820 | $47,713 | $48,707 |
| Kansas | 110 | $57,730 | $35,930 | $77,410 | $46,144 | $51,233 |
| Colorado | 220 | $57,120 | $37,020 | $83,420 | $46,020 | $44,657 |
| North Dakota | 50 | $57,020 | $38,980 | $82,020 | $47,996 | $53,952 |
| Michigan | 460 | $56,610 | $37,770 | $79,970 | $45,511 | $47,300 |
| Missouri | 490 | $56,140 | $39,840 | $63,140 | $45,587 | $50,197 |
| Wisconsin | 280 | $55,830 | $33,270 | $77,750 | $45,175 | $48,010 |
| North Carolina | 770 | $55,420 | $32,470 | $80,200 | $45,007 | $47,715 |
| Mississippi | 40 | $55,010 | $29,050 | $68,990 | $44,912 | $51,651 |
| Illinois | 610 | $54,990 | $32,430 | $78,580 | $43,787 | $43,806 |
| Pennsylvania | 760 | $54,880 | $38,510 | $93,490 | $44,553 | $45,662 |
| Minnesota | 220 | $54,310 | $23,150 | $76,790 | $43,409 | $44,016 |
| Florida | 1,070 | $51,470 | $36,360 | $97,810 | $43,536 | $42,099 |
| Louisiana | 280 | $51,420 | $26,740 | $73,880 | $42,340 | $48,000 |
| Massachusetts | 830 | $51,060 | $36,510 | $79,000 | $40,639 | $38,427 |
| Iowa | 160 | $50,280 | $37,370 | $69,930 | $41,321 | $47,083 |
| Alabama | 110 | $48,890 | $31,910 | $66,440 | $39,443 | $44,406 |
| Rhode Island | 540 | $48,800 | $39,190 | $77,650 | $39,641 | $38,757 |
| Hawaii | 170 | $48,450 | $30,400 | $92,880 | $38,954 | $35,429 |
| Tennessee | 370 | $48,240 | $31,140 | $77,230 | $40,941 | $44,564 |
| Ohio | 430 | $48,190 | $34,080 | $87,170 | $40,019 | $43,136 |
| Maine | 50 | $48,080 | $34,600 | $90,570 | $39,001 | $40,187 |
| Georgia | 420 | $47,810 | $22,720 | $83,200 | $38,958 | $40,458 |
| Indiana | 380 | $47,620 | $28,720 | $77,270 | $39,067 | $41,860 |
| Texas | 1,810 | $47,590 | $32,560 | $80,680 | $40,419 | $41,644 |
| Idaho | 130 | $47,090 | $31,190 | $60,370 | $38,629 | $40,452 |
| Kentucky | 320 | $47,090 | $33,830 | $82,420 | $38,486 | $42,687 |
| Nebraska | 120 | $46,920 | $37,580 | $71,970 | $38,625 | $42,868 |
| West Virginia | 30 | $46,370 | $29,650 | $56,380 | $38,147 | $42,624 |
| New Mexico | 230 | $46,200 | $30,000 | $58,440 | $38,282 | $41,516 |
| Maryland | 80 | $45,430 | $34,380 | $64,890 | $36,891 | $35,148 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $45,110 | $37,350 | $61,770 | $38,426 | $43,377 |
| Oregon | 530 | $44,510 | $38,550 | $82,840 | $34,895 | $33,761 |
| New Hampshire | 170 | $43,520 | $36,170 | $72,800 | $37,148 | $35,663 |
| Arizona | 440 | $42,240 | $34,850 | $75,920 | $35,458 | $35,219 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $41,720 | $31,420 | $62,170 | $34,370 | $39,127 |
| Nevada | 330 | $40,510 | $28,610 | $72,730 | $34,730 | $34,737 |
| Utah | 420 | $39,860 | $30,450 | $63,340 | $33,118 | $33,499 |
| Montana | 80 | $37,580 | $28,590 | $74,910 | $31,366 | $33,141 |
| Arkansas | 270 | $35,950 | $27,910 | $65,990 | $30,223 | $34,765 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-9071. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.