Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Salary
The median pay for a jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $46,080/year ($22.15/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $49,607 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 40.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
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What this looks like in Lexington-Fayette
Pay for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in Lexington-Fayette runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 41% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for jewelers and precious stone and metal workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $51K | $54K |
| St. Louis | $56K | $59K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $55K | $53K |
| Cincinnati | $48K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level jewelers and precious stone and metal workers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $70K | +33% | 140 |
| Virginia | $62K | +18% | 240 |
| New York | $62K | +17% | 4,300 |
| California | $61K | +16% | 2,300 |
| Washington | $60K | +15% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $60K | +15% | 200 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +13% | 780 |
| Vermont | $59K | +11% | 50 |
| Kansas | $58K | +10% | 110 |
| Colorado | $57K | +9% | 220 |
| North Dakota | $57K | +9% | 50 |
| Michigan | $57K | +8% | 460 |
| Missouri | $56K | +7% | 490 |
| Wisconsin | $56K | +6% | 280 |
| North Carolina | $55K | +5% | 770 |
| Mississippi | $55K | +5% | 40 |
| Illinois | $55K | +5% | 610 |
| Pennsylvania | $55K | +4% | 760 |
| Minnesota | $54K | +3% | 220 |
| Florida | $51K | -2% | 1,070 |
| Louisiana | $51K | -2% | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $51K | -3% | 830 |
| Iowa | $50K | -4% | 160 |
| Alabama | $49K | -7% | 110 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | -7% | 540 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -8% | 170 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -8% | 370 |
| Ohio | $48K | -8% | 430 |
| Maine | $48K | -8% | 50 |
| Georgia | $48K | -9% | 420 |
| Indiana | $48K | -9% | 380 |
| Texas | $48K | -9% | 1,810 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -10% | 320 |
| Idaho | $47K | -10% | 130 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -11% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -12% | 30 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -12% | 230 |
| Maryland | $45K | -14% | 80 |
| South Dakota | $45K | -14% | 90 |
| Oregon | $45K | -15% | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $44K | -17% | 170 |
| Arizona | $42K | -20% | 440 |
| Oklahoma | $42K | -21% | 180 |
| Nevada | $41K | -23% | 330 |
| Utah | $40K | -24% | 420 |
| Montana | $38K | -28% | 80 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -32% | 270 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track jewelers and precious stone and metal workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a jewelers and precious stone and metal worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 41% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new jewelers and precious stone and metal workers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,792/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is jewelers and precious stone and metal worker a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $46K here vs. $53K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers?
Lexington-Fayette pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $46,080 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,860, and experienced jewelers and precious stone and metal workers can clear $71,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,102/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 41% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a jewelers and precious stone and metal workers salary go in Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median jewelers and precious stone and metal workers salary is worth about $49,607 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.