Jewellers

ANZSCO ID 3994

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
7,100
Future Growth
0%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
54%
Female Share
34%
Average age
47

Summary

Jewellers make and repair jewellery such as rings, brooches, chains and bracelets, craft objects out of precious metals, and cut, shape and polish rough gemstones to produce fashion and industrial jewels.

Specialisations: Diamond Cutter, Faceter, Gem Setter, Goldsmith, Lapidary, Opal Polisher, Ring Maker, Silversmith.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Jeweller. Although some workers have a certificate III or IV in jewellery manufacture or design.

Tasks

  • examining designs and specifications for jewellery and precious metal objects

  • shaping moulded metal by cutting, filing, beating, turning and bending, using specialised hand and power tools

  • assembling articles by soldering, screwing, riveting and otherwise joining

  • securing precious stones in retaining prongs and ridges, and smoothing and checking final settings

  • engraving designs on ring settings, brooches, bracelets and other articles

  • repairing jewellery by soldering, replacing and rebuilding worn and broken parts

  • appraising the quality and value of jewellery

  • cutting and dividing stones to approximate final shape, using precision hand and power tools and jigs

  • securing stones and shapes, cutting angles, smoothing and polishing

  • finishing articles using files, emery paper and buffing machines

  • restyling old jewellery

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
Medium skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Creative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
0%
(or 0 jobs)
From
1,200
in 2021
To
1,200
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 5,800
2012 4,500
2013 2,000
2014 3,600
2015 5,500
2016 4,400
2017 6,000
2018 6,000
2019 4,800
2020 3,200
2021 1,200
2026 1,200

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 67% of people employed as Jewellers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
54.5%
2
Retail Trade
27.3%
3
Wholesale Trade
9.1%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
6.1%
5
Other industries
3.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

25.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

18.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.8% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Jewellers All Jobs Average
NSW 33.6 31.6
VIC 25.8 25.6
QLD 18.8 20.0
SA 7.8 7.0
WA 9.4 10.8
TAS 2.8 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.1 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
47
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
34%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Jewellers is 47 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 34% of the workforce. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Jewellers All Jobs Average
15-19 1.2 5.0
20-24 4.6 9.3
25-34 16.0 22.9
35-44 23.3 22.0
45-54 25.0 21.6
55-59 11.9 9.0
60-64 9.7 6.0
65 and Over 8.3 4.2
Median Age 47 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Jeweller. Although some workers have a certificate III or IV in jewellery manufacture or design.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Jewellers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 11.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 12.5 11.6
Certificate III/IV 43.4 21.1
Year 12 13.7 18.1
Year 11 3.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 13.1 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Jewellers who provide good customer service and have strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 50%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 45%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 43%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Management of financial resources

    Figuring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 41%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 41%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 39%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 39%

    Management of material resources

    Providing the right equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do work.

  • 37%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 36%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 36%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 34%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 61%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 54%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 53%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 53%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 51%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 48%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 47%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 47%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 43%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 37%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 37%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 33%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 33%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 32%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 31%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 30%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 30%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 30%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 27%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 26%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 82%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 79%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 79%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 68%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 63%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 61%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 55%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 52%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 52%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 50%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 46%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 45%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 37%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 68%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 65%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 62%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 61%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 60%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 60%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 59%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 57%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 55%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 55%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 53%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 52%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 51%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 51%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 51%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 48%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 48%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 45%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 45%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 40%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 90%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 52%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 38%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 60%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 57%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 48%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 48%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 96%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 92%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 90%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 90%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 80%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 80%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 77%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 74%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 73%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 73%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 72%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 72%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 71%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 71%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 71%

    Dangerous conditions

    Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.

  • 69%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 68%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-9071.01 - Jewelers.


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