How to become an Etcher or Engraver

Official title: Etchers and Engravers

Also called: Acid Etch Operator, Award Machine Operator, Chemical Engraver, Electronic Engraver, Engraver, Etcher, Laser Engraver, Photo Engraver, Screen Making Technician, Wet Process Technician

Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Engraver (Glass Prod).
• Apprenticeship: Engraver I.
• Apprenticeship: Engraver, Pantograph I.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $43,310 a year The middle half earn $37,400 to $53,050.
• About 8,900 people work in this job now, and about 8,800 are projected by 2035. (-0.7%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
• Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Etcher or Engraver?

Ways in include: Engraver (Glass Prod).

How much does an Etcher or Engraver earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $43,310 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,400 to $53,050.

Is an Etcher or Engraver a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 8,900 people now and 8,800 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Etcher or Engraver?

Usually not. Only 21% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Engraver (Glass Prod).

Will AI change the work of an Etcher or Engraver?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.