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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $40,450 in the US. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.53 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include health and safety in the textile industry, 3D printing process, printing techniques, properties of textile materials, textile printing technology.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,620 a year for Assemblers (electrical and electronic products) (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £25,997 to £34,441 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8141). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Design
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.
- Engrave 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.
- Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Etchers and engravers do?
Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.
How much does Etchers and engravers earn?
The median annual salary for Etchers and engravers in the US is $40,450.
How do I become etchers and engravers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Etchers and engravers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include health and safety in the textile industry, 3D printing process, printing techniques, properties of textile materials, textile printing technology, prepare equipment for textile printing. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Etchers and engravers?
Our AI-durability model gives Etchers and engravers a score of 0.53 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Etchers and engravers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.