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Etcher or Engraver

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What Does it Take to Be an Etcher or Engraver?

Example of Etcher or Engraver Job Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

Life As an Etcher or Engraver

  • Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures.
  • Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils.
  • Observe actions of cutting tools through microscopes and adjust stylus movement to ensure accurate reproduction.
  • Carve designs and letters onto metal for transfer to other surfaces.
  • Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns.
  • Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates.

Things an Etcher or Engraver Should Know How to Do

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.

Types of Etcher or Engraver Jobs

  • Textile Engraver
  • Engraving Patternmaker
  • Internal Carver
  • Steel Die Engraver
  • Machine Precision Etcher

Etcher or Engraver Employment Estimates

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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,300 job openings in this field each 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 average yearly salary of an Etcher or Engraver ranges 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

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Etchers and Engravers may use on a daily basis:

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

How do I Become an Etcher or Engraver?

What kind of Etcher or Engraver requirements are there?

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How Long Does it Take to Become an Etcher or Engraver?

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Where Etchers and Engravers Are Employed

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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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