Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers Salary
The median pay for a jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in Wilmington, NC is $60,540/year ($29.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $62,788 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 35.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Wilmington sits well above the national pay line for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 35.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $62K | $64K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $61K | $62K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $50K | $53K |
| Asheville | $53K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level jewelers and precious stone and metal workers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $39K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wilmington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a jewelers and precious stone and metal worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 35.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new jewelers and precious stone and metal workers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,222/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $61K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers?
Wilmington pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do jewelers and precious stone and metal workers make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $60,540 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,040, and experienced jewelers and precious stone and metal workers can clear $75,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,997/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 35.7% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $62,788 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.