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Etcher or Engraver

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What You Need to Know About Etcher or Engraver

Job Description & Duties Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

A Day in the Life of an Etcher or Engraver

  • Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece.
  • Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
  • Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns.
  • Clean and polish engraved areas.
  • Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
  • Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Etcher or Engraver?

When polled, Etchers and Engravers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

  • Rework Operator
  • Sketch Maker
  • Engraving Equipment Operator
  • Hand Screen Printer
  • Leaf Stamper

Job Opportunities for Etchers and Engravers

There were about 10,600 jobs for Etcher or Engraver in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Etcher or Engraver. There will be an estimated 1,300 positions for Etcher or Engraver per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Etcher or Engraver are Nevada, Arkansas, and North Dakota. Watch out if you plan on working in South Dakota, Massachusetts, or New Jersey. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Etchers and Engravers Salary

The typical yearly salary for Etchers and Engravers is somewhere between $20,520 and $51,720.

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Etchers and Engravers who work in Oregon, Nebraska, or New York, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Etchers and Engravers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $40,650
Arizona $27,610
California $35,000
Florida $24,530
Georgia $28,140
Illinois $30,260
Indiana $38,620
Iowa $32,670
Kansas $25,560
Kentucky $35,060
Louisiana $25,310
Maine $36,160
Maryland $52,060
Massachusetts $39,470
Michigan $38,040
Minnesota $33,780
Mississippi $33,600
Missouri $37,190
Montana $35,100
Nebraska $40,220
Nevada $25,010
New Hampshire $38,070
New Jersey $28,880
New York $47,020
North Dakota $24,490
Ohio $36,580
Oklahoma $30,290
Oregon $39,900
Pennsylvania $33,040
Rhode Island $42,690
South Carolina $32,390
Tennessee $24,900
Texas $32,790
Utah $32,210
Virginia $41,110
Washington $44,950
West Virginia $32,360
Wisconsin $34,950

Tools & Technologies Used by Etchers and Engravers

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Etchers and Engravers:

  • Data entry software
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator

How to Become an Etcher or Engraver

Learn what Etcher or Engraver education requirements there are.

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What work experience do I need to become an Etcher or Engraver?

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Where Etchers and Engravers Work

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The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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Similar Careers

Those interested in being an Etcher or Engraver may also be interested in:

References:

Image Credit: Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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