Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers industry earns $80,461 per year ($38.68/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers Workers Earn?
At $80,461/year (equivalent to $38.68/hour for a full-time worker), jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers business employs 5 people. Most operations are small — often owner-operated with a handful of staff. Labor costs are manageable relative to revenue.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers business generating $3.2M/year with 5 employees at $80,461 each, total payroll represents roughly 12.7% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalersbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $104,599/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 5 employees = ~$402,305/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $38.68/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $3.2M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers employees make?
- The average jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers employee earns $80,461 per year, which is equivalent to $38.68/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers industry?
- The jewelry, watch, precious stone, and precious metal merchant wholesalers industry employs 36,043 workers across 7,475 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 5 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).