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, Block Engraver, Bowling Ball Engraver, Chemical Engraver, Cold Etch Operator
Median pay
$43,310
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$32,210 – $63,360
People employed
7,750
Holland code
RAC
Realistic · Artistic · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you happy working mostly on your own, with little contact with others?
- 2.Are you OK with hours that change?
- 3.Do you prefer doing your own work rather than directing others?
- 4.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 5.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
- 6.Do you prefer working indoors?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Etchers and Engravers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (37 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What etchers and engravers do
- 01Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.
- 02Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
- 03Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.
- 04Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
- 05Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.
- 06Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.
Skills that matter most
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Design
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from etchers and engravers
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic84% · +34%
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic83% · +22%
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic82% · +7%
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic80% · +7%
- Tool and Die Makers77% · +48%
Change into etchers and engravers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Prepress Technicians and Workers77% · $48,690
- Printing Press Operators77% · $45,780
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic74% · $58,000
- Patternmakers, Wood74% · $49,630
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers74% · $37,800
Majors that lead here
- Graphic Communications, Other
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.