Life As a Precious Metal Worker
Job Description & Duties 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?
- Form concavities in bottoms of articles to improve stability, using tracing punches and hammers.
- Carry castings or finished items to storage areas or to different work stations.
- Glue plastic separators to handles of coffeepots and teapots.
- Shape and straighten damaged or twisted articles by hand or using pliers.
- Strike molds to separate dried castings from molds.
- Wire parts such as legs, spouts, and handles to article bodies in preparation for soldering.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Precious Metal Worker?
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.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Related Job Titles
- Solderer
- Pewter Fabricator
- Silversmith
- Jewelry Repairer
- Stone Setter
What Kind of Precious Metal Worker Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 37,700 jobs for Precious Metal Worker in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Precious Metal Worker. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 3,500 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Precious Metal Worker are Idaho, South Carolina, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Tennessee, New Mexico, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Precious Metal Worker Make?
The salary for Precious Metal Workers ranges between about $23,530 and $67,250 a year.

Precious Metal Workers who work in Kentucky, New Jersey, or Wisconsin, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Precious Metal Workers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $41,320 |
Alaska | $33,520 |
Arizona | $45,860 |
Arkansas | $43,880 |
California | $40,940 |
Colorado | $42,490 |
Connecticut | $54,280 |
Delaware | $46,690 |
Florida | $41,300 |
Georgia | $36,350 |
Hawaii | $37,560 |
Idaho | $42,040 |
Illinois | $39,030 |
Indiana | $41,220 |
Iowa | $44,390 |
Kansas | $44,200 |
Kentucky | $55,840 |
Louisiana | $36,820 |
Maine | $43,950 |
Maryland | $51,920 |
Massachusetts | $44,480 |
Michigan | $40,580 |
Minnesota | $39,590 |
Mississippi | $27,820 |
Missouri | $38,330 |
Montana | $34,950 |
Nebraska | $30,680 |
Nevada | $46,200 |
New Hampshire | $48,280 |
New Jersey | $54,870 |
New Mexico | $30,480 |
New York | $50,380 |
North Carolina | $40,420 |
North Dakota | $52,090 |
Ohio | $38,180 |
Oklahoma | $41,100 |
Oregon | $52,580 |
Pennsylvania | $42,670 |
Rhode Island | $43,710 |
South Carolina | $40,270 |
South Dakota | $37,330 |
Tennessee | $46,740 |
Texas | $41,450 |
Utah | $36,900 |
Vermont | $40,010 |
Virginia | $48,330 |
Washington | $39,540 |
West Virginia | $39,120 |
Wisconsin | $52,050 |
What Tools & Technology do Precious Metal Workers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Precious Metal Workers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
How do I Become a Precious Metal Worker?
Are there Precious Metal Workers education requirements?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Precious Metal Workers Sector

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

References:
Image Credit: Jorge Royan via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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