Goldsmith
Snapshot
Goldsmiths design, manufacture and sell jewellery. They also adjust, repair and appraise gems and jewellery for customers using experience in the working of gold and other precious metals.
Goldsmiths are skilled artisans who design, create, and sell jewellery. Your work involves a blend of creativity and precision, using gold and other precious metals and gemstones. You might work in a workshop, retail setting, or even from your own studio, adjusting existing pieces, repairing damaged jewellery, and appraising items for their value. The role demands a keen eye for detail, manual dexterity, and a strong understanding of metalworking techniques.
- • Designing jewellery pieces based on client requests or original concepts.
- • Fabricating jewellery using techniques like soldering, casting, and stone setting.
- • Repairing and adjusting existing jewellery, including resizing rings and replacing clasps.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Handicraft and printing workers — 77 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Italy, Portugal.
Longest-running shortage: Italy, 2 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Australia, Malta)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $52,540 2025-05 | −5.5% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Do you guide students, clients or employees? Use this occupation data in your organisation.
Future Outlook for goldsmith
The outlook for goldsmith reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could goldsmith change as AI adoption grows?
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
Most tasks here are AI-assistable rather than purely human-led.
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- develop jewellery designs
- use jewellery equipment
- pour molten metal into moulds
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
A typical day as a goldsmith
09 09:00 · Morning build jewellery models
10 10:30 · Mid-morning cast jewellery metal
12 12:00 · Midday create jewellery
14 14:00 · Afternoon develop jewellery designs
15 15:30 · Late afternoon heat jewellery metals
17 17:00 · Wrap-up clean jewellery pieces
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
-
pour molten metal into moulds
Pour molten steel or metal into moulds; operate by hand or by using cranes.
-
cast jewellery metal
Heat and melt jewellery materials; pour in moulds to cast jewellery models. Use jewellery-making material such as spanners, pliers or presses.
-
select gems for jewellery
Select and purchase gems to use in jewellery pieces and designs.
-
select metals for jewellery
Select and purchase precious metals and alloys to use in jewellery pieces
-
use jewellery equipment
Handle, modify, or repair jewellery-making equipment such as jigs, fixtures, and hand tools such as scrapers, cutters, gougers, and shapers.
-
smoothen rough jewel parts
Smoothen rough parts of pieces of jewellery using hand files and emery paper.
-
create jewellery
Create pieces of jewellery using precious materials such as silver and gold.
-
heat jewellery metals
Heat, melt and shape metals for jewellery making.
-
apply smithing techniques
Apply techniques and use technologies in relation to the various smithing processes, including sculpting, forging, upsetting, heat treating, and finishing.
-
build jewellery models
Construct preliminary jewel models using wax, plaster or clay. Create sample castings in moulds.
-
cut metal products
Operate cutting and measuring instruments in order to cut/shape pieces of metal into given dimensions.
-
develop jewellery designs
Develop new jewellery designs and products, and modify existing designs.
jewellery processes
Materials and processes involved in creating jewellery items like earrings, necklaces, rings, brackets, etc.
metal and metal ore products
The offered metal and metal ore products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
imitation jewellery
The materials and processes used to create imitation jewellery, and how to manipulate the materials.
jewellery product categories
Categories in which various types of jewellery can be found such as diamond fashion jewellery or diamond bridal jewellery.
watches and jewellery products
The offered watches and jewellery products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
- characteristics of precious metals
- coining
- electroplating metal materials
- electroplating processes
- engraving technologies
Path to become a goldsmith
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Upper secondary education
114 programmes in 20 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 30 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jewellery and Goldsmithing
Atlantic Technological University · Ireland
These are 6 of 144.
Sources
- 1. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 2. Source: South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), All Qualifications and Unit Standards (allqs.saqa.org.za).
- 3. Source: YÖK Atlas, Council of Higher Education (yokatlas.yok.gov.tr).
- 4. Source: Study with New Zealand (studywithnewzealand.govt.nz), Education New Zealand. Copyright in the material is owned by Education New Zealand (All content (c) Education New Zealand). Listings are provided by the education providers, are for information and promotional purposes only, and are not endorsed by Education New Zealand; each provider is responsible for its own content.
- 5. Source: Malta Qualifications Registry, Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (qualifications.mfhea.gov.mt).
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does goldsmith fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of training or education is needed to become a goldsmith?
Can a goldsmith work independently?
What are the most important qualities for a successful goldsmith?
Is there a shortage of Goldsmith in Europe?
How much does Goldsmith pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data