Salary

Information is money. And information about money is often the best kind to have, especially when it concerns what jewelers around the country are paying for what is often their biggest expense — labor. In our final section, we dig into staff salaries broken down by job description and location.

Published

6 years ago

October 24, 2019

INSTORE Staff Instore November 2019 Issue

60. Check off the benefits you provide to staff (mark all that apply):

COMMENT: Our data shows that store owners are providing fewer and fewer benefits to staff, with the biggest cuts being made to paid vacation and medical insurance.

61. How do you pay your sales staff?

Hourly
41%
Salary
16%
Hourly plus commission
33%
Salary plus commission
7%
100% commission
3%

COMMENT: Whether to pay commission or not is one of the longest-running debates in retail. Our survey suggests financial incentives work: 65% of owners at the top end (those earning more than $150,000 a year) pay some form of commission to staff, versus only 33% of owners in the mid-range for personal income ($75,000 to $100,000).

62. Salaries by Region

Northwest
SALESPERSON:: $48,636
BENCH JEWELER: $60,000
ADMIN WORKER: $46,250
GEMOLOGIST: $56,000
DESIGNER: $61,250

West
SALESPERSON:: $56,545
BENCH JEWELER: $62,000
ADMIN WORKER: $42,275
GEMOLOGIST: $53,889
DESIGNER: $52,500

Rocky Mountains
SALESPERSON:: $37,500
BENCH JEWELER: $44,000
ADMIN WORKER: $43,333
DESIGNER: $53,000

Southwest
SALESPERSON:: $44,783
BENCH JEWELER: $51,250
ADMIN WORKER: $45,000
GEMOLOGIST: $55,000
DESIGNER: $52,222
MANAGER: $76,667

Midwest
SALESPERSON:: $41,833
BENCH JEWELER: $46,935
ADMIN WORKER: $47,619
GEMOLOGIST: $50,700
DESIGNER: $52,143
MANAGER: $62,797

Southeast
SALESPERSON:: $48,265
BENCH JEWELER: $51,667
ADMIN WORKER: $48,571
GEMOLOGIST: $58,696
DESIGNER: $47,174
MANAGER: $64,189

Mid Atlantic
SALESPERSON:: $46,364
BENCH JEWELER: $55,000
ADMIN WORKER: $45,000
GEMOLOGIST: $40,000
DESIGNER: $51,667
MANAGER: $73,125

Northeast
SALESPERSON:: $45,278
BENCH JEWELER: $53,182
ADMIN WORKER: $45,833
GEMOLOGIST: $51,875
DESIGNER: $46,429
MANAGER: $49,815

Canada
SALESPERSON:: $52,500
BENCH JEWELER: $57,857
ADMIN WORKER: $41,667
GEMOLOGIST: $61,667
DESIGNER: $59,500
MANAGER: $69,000

63. Salaries by Market Type

64. Average income for key jewelry-store positions by state (based on 8 or more responses).

Alabama
SALESPERSON: $42,500
BENCH JEWELER:: $43,510
MANAGER:: $56,000

California
SALESPERSON:: $61,785
BENCH JEWELER:: $62.250
ADMIN WORKER:: $41,000
MANAGER:: $84,000
GEMOLOGIST::$58,000
DESIGNER:: $51,230

Florida
SALESPERSON:: $50,770
BENCH JEWELER:: $55,770
ADMIN WORKER:: $38,500
MANAGER:: $75,000
GEMOLOGIST:: $61,200

Illinois
SALESPERSON:: $47,500
BENCH JEWELER:: $53,000
ADMIN WORKER:: $36,870
MANAGER:: $55,000
GEMOLOGIST::$48,250

Indiana
SALESPERSON:: $38,125
BENCH JEWELER:: $44,560
ADMIN WORKER:: $41,540
MANAGER:: $60,625
DESIGNER:: $46,430

Iowa
SALESPERSON:: $34,167
BENCH JEWELER:: $50,690
MANAGER:: $52,360

Kansas
MANAGER:: $47,000

Louisiana
BENCH JEWELER:: $45,000

Massachusetts
SALESPERSON:: $50,500

Michigan
SALESPERSON:: $32,085
MANAGER:: $46,875

Minnesota
SALESPERSON:: $48,720
BENCH JEWELER:: $54,500
MANAGER:: $70,750

Missouri
SALESPERSON:: $38,125
BENCH JEWELER:: $50,000
MANAGER:: $52,000

Montana
SALESPERSON:: $40.833
MANAGER:: $69,150

New York
SALESPERSON:: $47,690
BENCH JEWELER:: $52,500
ADMIN WORKER:: $45,425
MANAGER:: $54,375
DESIGNER:: $53,975

North Carolina
SALESPERSON:: $47,500
BENCH JEWELER:: $50,500
MANAGER:: $54,285
DESIGNER:: $53,975

Ohio
SALESPERSON:: $46,250
MANAGER:: $67,500

Oklahoma
SALESPERSON:: $36,430
MANAGER:: $51,250

Pennsylvania
SALESPERSON:: $39,285
BENCH JEWELER:: $57,500
MANAGER:: $47,690

Tennessee
SALESPERSON:: $37,857
BENCH JEWELER:: $55,000

Texas
SALESPERSON:: $38,460
BENCH JEWELER:: $54,166
ADMIN WORKER:: $43,000
MANAGER:: $63,570
GEMOLOGIST:: $57,560

Virginia
SALESPERSON:: $47,500
BENCH JEWELER:: $54,370
MANAGER:: $54,320

Wisconsin
SALESPERSON:: $39,285
BENCH JEWELER:: $44,100
MANAGER:: $61,250

Canada
SALESPERSON:: $49,666
BENCH JEWELER:: $57,850
ADMIN WORKER:: $41,000
MANAGER:: $62,500

Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.