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Gem and Diamond Workers: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-9071.06 · BLS: Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Approved apprenticeship titles
2 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Gem and Diamond Workers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 6,000 hours, for Brilliandeer-Lopper (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Brilliandeer-Lopper | 0893 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| GEM CUTTER (Jewelry) | 0242 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What gem and diamond workers earn, by state
Connecticut has the highest state median for gem and diamond workers ($69,800) and Arkansas the lowest ($35,950), across the 47 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $69,800 | $33.56 | 140 |
| Virginia | $61,940 | $29.78 | 240 |
| New York | $61,720 | $29.67 | 4,300 |
| California | $60,790 | $29.23 | 2,300 |
| South Carolina | $60,380 | $29.03 | 200 |
| Washington | $60,380 | $29.03 | 290 |
| New Jersey | $59,480 | $28.60 | 780 |
| Vermont | $58,570 | $28.16 | 50 |
| Kansas | $57,730 | $27.75 | 110 |
| Colorado | $57,120 | $27.46 | 220 |
| North Dakota | $57,020 | $27.42 | 50 |
| Michigan | $56,610 | $27.21 | 460 |
| Missouri | $56,140 | $26.99 | 490 |
| Wisconsin | $55,830 | $26.84 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $55,420 | $26.65 | 770 |
| Mississippi | $55,010 | $26.45 | 40 |
| Illinois | $54,990 | $26.44 | 610 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,880 | $26.39 | 760 |
| Minnesota | $54,310 | $26.11 | 220 |
| Florida | $51,470 | $24.74 | 1,070 |
| Louisiana | $51,420 | $24.72 | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $51,060 | $24.55 | 830 |
| Iowa | $50,280 | $24.17 | 160 |
| Alabama | $48,890 | $23.50 | 110 |
| Rhode Island | $48,800 | $23.46 | 540 |
| Hawaii | $48,450 | $23.29 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $48,240 | $23.19 | 370 |
| Ohio | $48,190 | $23.17 | 430 |
| Maine | $48,080 | $23.11 | 50 |
| Georgia | $47,810 | $22.99 | 420 |
| Indiana | $47,620 | $22.90 | 380 |
| Texas | $47,590 | $22.88 | 1,810 |
| Idaho | $47,090 | $22.64 | 130 |
| Kentucky | $47,090 | $22.64 | 320 |
| Nebraska | $46,920 | $22.56 | 120 |
| West Virginia | $46,370 | $22.29 | 30 |
| New Mexico | $46,200 | $22.21 | 230 |
| Maryland | $45,430 | $21.84 | 80 |
| South Dakota | $45,110 | $21.69 | 90 |
| Oregon | $44,510 | $21.40 | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $43,520 | $20.92 | 170 |
| Arizona | $42,240 | $20.31 | 440 |
| Oklahoma | $41,720 | $20.06 | 180 |
| Nevada | $40,510 | $19.47 | 330 |
| Utah | $39,860 | $19.16 | 420 |
| Montana | $37,580 | $18.07 | 80 |
| Arkansas | $35,950 | $17.28 | 270 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).