Bench jeweler vs jewelry maker

The differences between bench jewelers and jewelry makers 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 jewelry maker. Additionally, a jewelry maker has an average salary of $58,352, 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 jewelry maker are customer service, custom orders, and wire wrapping.

Bench jeweler vs jewelry maker overview

	Bench Jeweler	Jewelry Maker
Yearly salary	$43,153	$58,352
Hourly rate	$20.75	$28.05
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	479	10,516
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	2

Bench jeweler vs jewelry maker salary

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

	Bench Jeweler	Jewelry Maker
Average salary	$43,153	$58,352
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $70,000	Between $30,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between bench jeweler and jewelry maker education

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

	Bench Jeweler	Jewelry Maker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Bench jeweler vs jewelry maker demographics

Here are the differences between bench jewelers' and jewelry makers' demographics:

	Bench Jeweler	Jewelry Maker
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4%	Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8%
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, 2.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.0%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between bench jeweler and jewelry maker 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.

Jewelry maker example responsibilities.

Manage buying and selling of goods online via third-party sales venues such as eBay and Etsy.
Design professional quality jewelry which consist of bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Design professional quality jewelry which consist of bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

Bench jeweler vs jewelry maker skills

Common bench jeweler skills

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

Common jewelry maker skills

Customer Service, 74%
Custom Orders, 17%
Wire Wrapping, 9%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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