Jewelry maker vs jewelry designer

The differences between jewelry makers and jewelry designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a jewelry maker, becoming a jewelry designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a jewelry maker has an average salary of $58,352, which is higher than the $49,058 average annual salary of a jewelry designer.

The top three skills for a jewelry maker include customer service, custom orders and wire wrapping. The most important skills for a jewelry designer are customer service, sketch, and technical drawings.

Jewelry maker vs jewelry designer overview

	Jewelry Maker	Jewelry Designer
Yearly salary	$58,352	$49,058
Hourly rate	$28.05	$23.59
Growth rate	1%	3%
Number of jobs	10,516	47,337
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	46	38
Years of experience	2	12

Jewelry maker vs jewelry designer salary

Jewelry makers and jewelry designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Jewelry Maker	Jewelry Designer
Average salary	$58,352	$49,058
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $110,000	Between $33,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Neiman Marcus Group
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between jewelry maker and jewelry designer education

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

	Jewelry Maker	Jewelry Designer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Fine Arts
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Jewelry maker vs jewelry designer demographics

Here are the differences between jewelry makers' and jewelry designers' demographics:

	Jewelry Maker	Jewelry Designer
Average age	46	38
Gender ratio	Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8%	Male, 17.9% Female, 82.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	13%

Differences between jewelry maker and jewelry designer duties and responsibilities

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.

Jewelry designer example responsibilities.

Manage buying and selling of goods online via third-party sales venues such as eBay and Etsy.
Project managing special orders from corporate customers including custom zipper pulls, and embroidery embellishments.
Involve in all facets of product development, from initial concept sketch to final production.
Photograph the jewelry for website, facebook page and portfolio.
Advertise product and work using social media such as Facebook and Etsy.
Research and develop designs with new materials, color stones, and sketch.

Jewelry maker vs jewelry designer skills

Common jewelry maker skills

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

Common jewelry designer skills

Customer Service, 22%
Sketch, 9%
Technical Drawings, 7%
CAD, 6%
Art Shows, 5%
Product Development, 5%

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs