Bench jeweler vs gemologist

The differences between bench jewelers and gemologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a bench jeweler and a gemologist. Additionally, a gemologist has an average salary of $62,830, which is higher than the $43,153 average annual salary of a bench jeweler.

The top three skills for a bench jeweler include laser, laser welding and custom design. The most important skills for a gemologist are gem, customer service, and GIA.

Bench jeweler vs gemologist overview

	Bench Jeweler	Gemologist
Yearly salary	$43,153	$62,830
Hourly rate	$20.75	$30.21
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	479	309
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Bench jeweler vs gemologist salary

Bench jewelers and gemologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bench Jeweler	Gemologist
Average salary	$43,153	$62,830
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $70,000	Between $45,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	-	Everything But The House (ebth)
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between bench jeweler and gemologist education

There are a few differences between a bench jeweler and a gemologist in terms of educational background:

	Bench Jeweler	Gemologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bench jeweler vs gemologist demographics

Here are the differences between bench jewelers' and gemologists' demographics:

	Bench Jeweler	Gemologist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4%	Male, 41.8% Female, 58.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.0%	Black or African American, 2.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 12.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.0%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between bench jeweler and gemologist duties and responsibilities

Bench jeweler example responsibilities.

Prepare pieces using grinders, buffers, acetylene torches, and fine grit wheels to order completion.
stone setting all styles, engraving.
School by GIA in Atlanta for diamond setting.
Work in jewelry repair shop, polishing, repairing, sizing and electroplating jewelry.
Solder parts together or fill holes and cracks with metal solder, using gas torches.
Experience in both torch and laser jewelry work, stone setting and cabbing, and casting.

Gemologist example responsibilities.

Ensure gem quality of diamonds as they are manufactured from rough into polished goods.
Display unsurpassed expertise in performing all jewelry appraisal functions for the store and clients.
Experience with GemGuide, appraisal software using the GIA grading system for colore stones and diamonds.
Personalize jewelry through engraving metals or resetting gems.
Estimate wholesale and retail value of gems, following pricing guides, market fluctuations and other relevant economic factors.
Display unsurpassed expertise in performing all jewelry appraisal functions for the store and clients.

Bench jeweler vs gemologist skills

Common bench jeweler skills

Laser, 22%
Laser Welding, 14%
Custom Design, 8%
Gem, 7%
Engraving, 6%
Sales Floor, 6%

Common gemologist skills

Gem, 50%
Customer Service, 23%
GIA, 7%
Jewelry Items, 5%
Inventory Control, 4%
Sales Floor, 3%