Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Etchers and Engravers
Occupation · SOC 51-9194.00
Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.
Also called: Chemical Engraver · Engraver · Etcher · Photo Engraver · Acid Etch Operator · Award Machine Operator · Electronic Engraver · Laser Engraver · Screen Making Technician · Wet Process Technician · Block Engraver · Bowling Ball Engraver
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-9194-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-0.7% by 2034)
- 900 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $40,450/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (97th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (26th)
26th-percentile task overlap — yet about 900 openings a year (-0.7% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 30th | -0.6 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 30th | 0.3 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 23rd | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.3). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 1.0 · 97th percentile among occupations · High
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces. | 0.3% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -0.7% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 900 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 8,600 → 8,600 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international 2 occupations below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Etchers and Engravers sits at the 36th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
21% mean task exposure (2025)
36th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−7 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers · 8212 | 28% | Minimal |
| Sign Writers, Decorative Painters, Engravers and Etchers · 7316 | 18% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses. Core · importance 4.5
- 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. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- 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. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Use computer software to design patterns for engraving. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces. Core · importance 4.5
- Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Remove wax or tape from etched glassware by using a stylus or knife, or by immersing ware in hot water. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Clean and polish engraved areas. Core · importance 4.0
- Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns. Supplemental · importance 3.7
- Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils. Supplemental · importance 3.6
- Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Brush or wipe acid over engraving to darken or highlight inscriptions. Supplemental · importance 3.3
- Carve designs and letters onto metal for transfer to other surfaces. Supplemental
- Cut outlines of impressions with gravers, and remove excess material with knives. Supplemental
- Observe actions of cutting tools through microscopes and adjust stylus movement to ensure accurate reproduction. Supplemental
- Select and insert required templates into pattern frames beneath the stylus of a machine cutting tool or router. Supplemental
Work activities
- Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
- Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
- Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
- Determine production equipment settings.
- Inspect finishes of workpieces or finished products.
- Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
- Calculate dimensions of workpieces, products, or equipment.
- Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
- Operate cutting equipment.
- Clean workpieces or finished products.
- Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
- Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
- Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
- Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
- Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality.
- Operate equipment to print images or bind printed images together.
- Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
- Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
- Trim excess material from workpieces.
- Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions.
- Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces.
- Design templates or patterns.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Production and Processing | 4.2 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.4 | |
| Mechanical | 3.0 | |
| Design | 3.0 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.0 | |
| Mathematics | 2.8 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.8 |
Abilities
| Near Vision | 3.9 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.8 | |
| Control Precision | 3.8 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.4 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.3 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.3 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.3 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.3 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.1 | |
| Visualization | 3.1 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.1 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.1 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.0 | |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.0 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.0 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.0 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.9 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.9 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.8 | |
| Far Vision | 2.8 |
Essential skills
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | |
| Speaking | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 | |
| Time Management | 2.8 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology In demand |
| Adobe Illustrator | Graphics or photo imaging software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Windows | Operating system software | Hot technology |
| Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing CAD/CAM engraving software | Computer aided design CAD and computer aided manufacturing CAM system | |
| Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite | Graphics or photo imaging software | |
| Delcam ArtCAM Express | Computer aided manufacturing CAM software | |
| Gravograph GravoStyle | Computer aided manufacturing CAM software | |
| Western Engravers Supply Vision EXPERT | Computer aided manufacturing CAM software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 53.9% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 32.7% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 12.7% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 0.8% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.5 | |
| Artistic | 3.8 | |
| Conventional | 3.4 | |
| Investigative | 2.5 | |
| Social | 1.4 |
Interest areas
| Applied Arts and Design | 3.4 | |
| Visual Arts | 3.2 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 3.2 | |
| Engineering | 2.6 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 2.3 | |
| Construction/Woodwork | 2.3 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 1.3 | |
| Physical Science | 1.3 |
Work styles
| Attention to Detail | 2.8 | |
| Dependability | 2.1 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.0 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $29,530 |
| 25th percentile | $35,650 |
| Median (50th) | $40,450 |
| 75th percentile | $48,510 |
| 90th percentile | $60,430 |
| People employed | 8,390 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 4,480 | $42,400 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 3,060 | $36,610 |
| Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing · National industry | 480 | $39,350 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 430 | $46,730 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 180 | $47,170 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 170 | $47,320 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 100 | $37,210 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 90 | $37,030 |
| Sporting Goods Retailers · National industry | 80 | $33,690 |
| Machine Shops · National industry | 60 | $43,850 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing · National industry | 442.83× | 480 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 6.45× | 4,480 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 3.61× | 3,060 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 2.7× | 170 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.73× | 430 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 0.55× | 180 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.2× | 100 |
Related occupations
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing and Arts, Entertainment, & Design career clusters.
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · 51-9123.00 Compare →
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic · 51-4062.00 Compare →
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · 51-9022.00 Compare →
- Tool and Die Makers · 51-4111.00 Compare →
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic · 51-9195.00 Compare →
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing · 51-9195.03 Compare →
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers · 51-9071.00 Compare →
- Prepress Technicians and Workers · 51-5111.00 Compare →
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4035.00 Compare →
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4033.00 Compare →
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners · 51-4194.00 Compare →
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand · 51-9031.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Etchers and Engravers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 36th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Etchers and Engravers show 26th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 900 annual U.S. openings
- Etchers and Engravers rank in the 26th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-0.7%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $40,450, across about 8,390 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Etchers and Engravers show 26th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 900 annual U.S. openings • Etchers and Engravers rank in the 26th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-0.7%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $40,450, across about 8,390 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Etchers and Engravers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9194-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Etchers and Engravers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9194-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Etchers and Engravers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9194-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-9194-00,
title = {Etchers and Engravers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9194-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.