Occupations · Production
Etchers and Engravers
Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9194.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 82% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $41,070 | 370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $41,530 | 340 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $36,610 | 340 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $43,240 | 160 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | $42,080 | 160 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,800 | 130 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $44,830 | 120 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $44,300 | 100 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $37,060 | 100 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $42,800 | 100 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $41,800 | 90 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,010 | 90 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
- Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
- Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
- Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
- Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
- Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
- Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.
- Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges.
- Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.
- Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines.
- Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.
- Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
O*NET 21.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 4
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| paper embosing press operator | 7322.6 | close |
| metal engraver | 7316.3 | broader |
| stone engraver | 7113.1.1 | broader |
| engraving machine operator | 7223.4.1 | broader |
| printmaker | 2651.9 | broader |
| glass engraver | 7316.2 | broader |
| screen making technician | 7321.1.5 | broader |
| jewellery engraver | 7313.1.3 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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