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.
Also called: Acid Etch Operator · Award Machine Operator · Chemical Engraver · Electronic Engraver · Engraver · Etcher
Median pay (national)
$40,450
$29,530–$60,430 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
8,390
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-0.7%
~900 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for etchers and engravers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $60,430 versus $29,530 at the bottom 10% — 2.0x. The median of $40,450 leaves roughly 49% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -0.7% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 41 states with released data, Vermont pays the most for this role (median $68,030, +68% vs the national median), while Kansas sits lowest at $24,540 — a 177% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines.
- Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad.
- 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.
- Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
- Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.
- Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.
- Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Office software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Microsoft Windows
- Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing CAD/CAM engraving software
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Delcam ArtCAM Express
- Gravograph GravoStyle
- Western Engravers Supply Vision EXPERT
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Design
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology