Also called: Horologist, Watch Repairer
Repairs, services, and restores mechanical watches and clocks with tiny, precise tools.
At a bench with a loupe in one eye, a watchmaker takes apart a luxury watch with over 100 parts, cleans each one, replaces worn pieces, and reassembles it. They test accuracy on timing machines. Luxury brands struggle to find enough of them.
Estimate. BLS watch and clock repairers overall earn less; certified watchmakers at luxury brands and service centers earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. Two-year watchmaking school programs (some free, sponsored by brands like Rolex); certification (CW21, WOSTEP).
Ways in: Trade school, Certification, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Watchmaking (trade school).
Growing about average. Small field with a shortage of trained watchmakers as older ones retire.
Low risk for 10 years. Microscopic hand repair of mechanical movements can't be automated, and luxury brands report a shortage of watchmakers.
Classes: Physics, Electronics or engineering CTE, Art 3-D Design.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9064.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.