Also called: Crystal Miner, Mineral Specimen Dealer
Digs crystals like quartz, amethyst and tourmaline out of small claims and sells the best ones to collectors and museums.
In Arkansas's quartz belt you spend the morning with a pick and a pressure hose, opening a pocket of clear crystals. Afternoons you clean, trim and photograph them to sell online. Every February you rent a booth at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, where one great piece can pay for months of digging.
Self-employed and seasonal; a big find can pay for years, a bad year pays little.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. No degree needed; learned by digging with clubs and experienced miners. Geology classes help.
Ways in: Self-taught, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Geology.
Growing about average. A tiny, steady trade driven by collectors and online sales.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps price and market specimens online; finding pockets underground, careful digging and trust with collectors stay human.
Classes: Earth science, Chemistry, Business or marketing.
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.