Life As a Precious Metal Worker

Career Description Cast, anneal, solder, hammer, or shape gold, silver, pewter or other metals to form jewelry or other metal items such as goblets or candlesticks.

What do Precious Metal Workers do On a Daily Basis?

• Hammer out dents and bulges, selecting and using hammers and dollies with heads that correspond in curvature to article surfaces.
• Carry castings or finished items to storage areas or to different work stations.
• Cut and file pieces of jewelry such as rings, brooches, bracelets, and lockets.
• Glue plastic separators to handles of coffeepots and teapots.
• Assemble molds, wrap molds in heat-resistant cloth, and ladle molten alloy into mold openings, repeating casting processes as necessary to produce specified numbers of parts.
• Wire parts such as legs, spouts, and handles to article bodies in preparation for soldering.

Things a Precious Metal Worker Should Know How to Do

These are the skills Precious Metal Workers say are the most useful in their careers:

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

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

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

Types of Precious Metal Worker Jobs

• Platinum Smith
• Jewelry Designer
• Goldsmith Apprentice
• Restoration Silversmith
• Hammersmith

Precious Metal Worker Job Outlook

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 37,700 jobs in the United States for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers.

Precious Metal Worker jobs are decreasing by a rate of -6.7%. This means the total job opportunities are shrinking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a loss of -2,500 jobs for Precious Metal Workers by 2026. The BLS estimates 3,500 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers are Texas, South Carolina, and Florida.

Watch out if you plan on working in New York, California, or New Jersey. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What is the Average Salary of a Precious Metal Worker

The average yearly salary of a Precious Metal Worker ranges between $23,530 and $67,250. A Precious Metal Worker median salary is $39,440.

How much do Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Kentucky	$55,840
New Jersey	$54,870
Connecticut	$54,280
Oregon	$52,580
North Dakota	$52,090
Wisconsin	$52,050
Maryland	$51,920
New York	$50,380
Virginia	$48,330
New Hampshire	$48,280
Tennessee	$46,740
Delaware	$46,690
Nevada	$46,200
Arizona	$45,860
Massachusetts	$44,480
Iowa	$44,390
Kansas	$44,200
Maine	$43,950
Arkansas	$43,880
Rhode Island	$43,710
Pennsylvania	$42,670
Colorado	$42,490
Idaho	$42,040
Texas	$41,450
Alabama	$41,320
Florida	$41,300
Indiana	$41,220
Oklahoma	$41,100
California	$40,940
Michigan	$40,580
North Carolina	$40,420
South Carolina	$40,270
Vermont	$40,010
Minnesota	$39,590
Washington	$39,540
West Virginia	$39,120
Illinois	$39,030
Missouri	$38,330
Ohio	$38,180
Hawaii	$37,560
South Dakota	$37,330
Utah	$36,900
Louisiana	$36,820
Georgia	$36,350
Montana	$34,950
Alaska	$33,520
Nebraska	$30,680
New Mexico	$30,480
Mississippi	$27,820

What Tools & Technology do Precious Metal Workers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Precious Metal Workers may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Metal designing software
• Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
• Microsoft Outlook
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop

How do I Become a Precious Metal Worker?

What kind of Precious Metal Worker requirements are there?

What work experience do I need to become a Precious Metal Worker?

Where Precious Metal Workers Are Employed

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons