Career
Etchers and engravers
Etch and engrave designs.
$43,310
Median pay
-0.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
800
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
- Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
- Clean and polish engraved areas.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then creation & expression?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $43,310 a year and 800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Graphic Communications, OtherCIP 10.0399
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600 · +1.3%
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic$58,000 · -22.8%
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660 · -19.2%
- Tool and Die Makers$64,050 · -9.2%
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,170 · +5.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.