Also called: Watch Technician
Repairs and services mechanical watches and clocks with tiny tools.
Watchmakers disassemble movements with hundreds of parts smaller than a grain of rice, clean and oil them, and regulate them to keep perfect time. Luxury brands pay well and train their own.
Above the BLS median for luxury-brand watchmakers.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. Watchmaking school (e.g., programs sponsored by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Swatch Group) for about 2 years.
Ways in: Trade school, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Watchmaking (trade school).
Shrinking (about -2% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Servicing tiny movements by hand is precise craft; brands struggle to find enough watchmakers, AI isn't a factor.
Classes: Physics, Shop class, Art, Algebra.
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.