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Etchers and Engravers in Washington

Want to work as an Etchers and Engravers in Washington? Below are the key facts. Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers. Photoengravers are included in “Prepress Technicians and Workers” (51-5111).

What do Etchers and Engravers Make in Washington?

The etchers and engravers working in Washington, the median annual wage is $57,520 per year (or about $27.65/hour).Annual wages span from $40,040 at the 10th percentile to $103,570 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$40,040	$19.25
25th percentile	$42,980	$20.66
Median (50th)	$57,520	$27.65
75th percentile	$75,930	$36.50
90th percentile	$103,570	$49.80

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Washington compared to the national average — is 0.34, meaning fewer etchers and engravers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, etchers and engravers earn a median of $28,903 per year ($13.90/hour), above the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 862,700 etchers and engravers in the U.S.. In Washington alone, around 70 people work in this role. That’s below the typical state, which employs around 110 etchers and engravers.

Top Washington Metros for Etchers and Engravers

The largest metro-area employers of etchers and engravers in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	40	$62,120

Top States for Etchers and Engravers Employment

View the states that employ the most etchers and engravers work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	1,130
California	860
Wisconsin	520
Michigan	500
Massachusetts	490
New York	460
Illinois	390
Indiana	310
Tennessee	260
Florida	250
Virginia	250
Pennsylvania	230
Arizona	220
Ohio	210
Minnesota	210
Maryland	170
Oregon	150
Iowa	140
Arkansas	110
Colorado	100

Highest-Paying States for Etchers and Engravers

The highest-paying states for etchers and engravers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Vermont	$68,030
Rhode Island	$59,690
Washington	$57,520
Maryland	$52,000
New Jersey	$50,530
Illinois	$47,720
Tennessee	$46,040
Pennsylvania	$45,890
Connecticut	$44,860
Minnesota	$44,260

Skills

The most important etchers and engravers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for etchers and engravers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
• Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
• Clean and polish engraved areas.
• Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
• Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
• Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
• Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
• Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.
• Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges.
• Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.
• Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines.
• Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Thinking Creatively
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Processing Information

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Illustrator In-demand technologies: Microsoft Office software

Related Careers

Careers similar to etchers and engravers include:

• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
• Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
• Tool and Die Makers

Also Known As

Acid Etch Operator, Award Machine Operator, Block Engraver, Bowling Ball Engraver, Chemical Engraver, Cold Etch Operator, Decorative Engraver, Die Cutter, Dynamic Etching Processor, Electronic Engraver, Embosser, Engraver, Engraving Equipment Operator, Engraving Finisher, Engraving Patternmaker.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9194.00