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Precious Metal Worker

What is a Precious Metal Worker?

Job 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.

Life As a Precious Metal Worker: What Do They Do?

  • Position articles over snarling tools and raise design areas, using foot-powered hammers.
  • Heat ingots or alloy mixtures to specified temperatures, stir mixtures, skim off impurities, and fill molds to form ingots from which parts are cast.
  • Design silver articles, such as jewelry and serving pieces.
  • Rout out locations where parts are to be joined to items, using routing machines.
  • Carry castings or finished items to storage areas or to different work stations.
  • Engrave decorative lines on items, using engraving tools.

What a Precious Metal Worker Should Know

Precious Metal Workers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

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

Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Types of Precious Metal Worker Jobs

  • Pewter Finisher
  • Stone Setter
  • Silversmith
  • Stamper
  • Restoration Silversmith

Are There Job Opportunities for Precious Metal Workers?

There were about 37,700 jobs for Precious Metal Worker in 2016 (in the United States). 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.

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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.

Precious Metal Worker Salary

Precious Metal Workers make between $23,530 and $67,250 a year.

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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

Tools & Technologies Used by Precious Metal Workers

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
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator

Becoming a Precious Metal Worker

Are there Precious Metal Workers education requirements?

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

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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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