Pay by state · 47 states
Gem and Diamond Worker Salary by State (2026)
Gem and Diamond Workers earn the most in Connecticut at $69,800 a year and the least in Arkansas at $35,950 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $52,540. All 47 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $69,800Connecticut
- National median
- $52,540BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $35,950Arkansas
- States reporting
- 47of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Gem and Diamond Worker salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of gem and diamond workers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CTConnecticut | $69,800 | $52,900 | $80,500 | 140 | $67,368 |
| 2 | VAVirginia | $61,940 | $51,820 | $80,240 | 240 | $61,264 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $61,720 | $37,160 | $85,460 | 4,300 | $57,190 |
| 4 | CACalifornia | $60,790 | $47,540 | $76,060 | 2,300 | $54,904 |
| 5 | SCSouth Carolina | $60,380 | $49,500 | $63,880 | 200 | $64,406 |
| 6 | WAWashington | $60,380 | $48,320 | $71,540 | 290 | $56,423 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $59,480 | $47,520 | $72,870 | 780 | $54,667 |
| 8 | VTVermont | $58,570 | $53,650 | $71,620 | 50 | $59,791 |
| 9 | KSKansas | $57,730 | $38,490 | $71,520 | 110 | $64,096 |
| 10 | COColorado | $57,120 | $44,480 | $73,380 | 220 | $55,428 |
| 11 | NDNorth Dakota | $57,020 | $41,230 | $58,060 | 50 | $64,097 |
| 12 | MIMichigan | $56,610 | $47,060 | $63,330 | 460 | $58,836 |
| 13 | MOMissouri | $56,140 | $49,590 | $59,420 | 490 | $61,817 |
| 14 | WIWisconsin | $55,830 | $44,600 | $62,700 | 280 | $59,334 |
| 15 | NCNorth Carolina | $55,420 | $42,830 | $73,280 | 770 | $58,754 |
| 16 | MSMississippi | $55,010 | $39,470 | $65,600 | 40 | $63,264 |
| 17 | ILIllinois | $54,990 | $42,650 | $67,620 | 610 | $55,013 |
| 18 | PAPennsylvania | $54,880 | $43,170 | $60,510 | 760 | $56,246 |
| 19 | MNMinnesota | $54,310 | $29,340 | $62,530 | 220 | $55,069 |
| 20 | FLFlorida | $51,470 | $38,210 | $75,270 | 1,070 | $49,771 |
| 21 | LALouisiana | $51,420 | $43,610 | $56,270 | 280 | $58,295 |
| 22 | MAMassachusetts | $51,060 | $39,170 | $58,570 | 830 | $48,280 |
| 23 | IAIowa | $50,280 | $45,760 | $63,350 | 160 | $57,291 |
| 24 | ALAlabama | $48,890 | $37,650 | $61,550 | 110 | $55,042 |
| 25 | RIRhode Island | $48,800 | $44,890 | $61,950 | 540 | $47,712 |
| 26 | HIHawaii | $48,450 | $38,390 | $56,600 | 170 | $44,065 |
| 27 | TNTennessee | $48,240 | $34,700 | $56,570 | 370 | $52,509 |
| 28 | OHOhio | $48,190 | $39,900 | $65,090 | 430 | $51,943 |
| 29 | MEMaine | $48,080 | $43,670 | $64,510 | 50 | $49,541 |
| 30 | GAGeorgia | $47,810 | $43,950 | $65,720 | 420 | $49,651 |
| 31 | INIndiana | $47,620 | $35,310 | $59,670 | 380 | $51,024 |
| 32 | TXTexas | $47,590 | $38,950 | $61,960 | 1,810 | $49,033 |
| 33 | IDIdaho | $47,090 | $32,810 | $57,100 | 130 | $49,312 |
| 34 | KYKentucky | $47,090 | $38,670 | $60,170 | 320 | $52,230 |
| 35 | NENebraska | $46,920 | $38,860 | $59,320 | 120 | $52,074 |
| 36 | WVWest Virginia | $46,370 | $34,490 | $48,540 | 30 | $51,812 |
| 37 | NMNew Mexico | $46,200 | $35,580 | $54,080 | 230 | $50,102 |
| 38 | MDMaryland | $45,430 | $43,160 | $60,740 | 80 | $43,284 |
| 39 | SDSouth Dakota | $45,110 | $37,720 | $58,240 | 90 | $50,922 |
| 40 | OROregon | $44,510 | $40,660 | $74,940 | 530 | $43,063 |
| 41 | NHNew Hampshire | $43,520 | $39,030 | $67,650 | 170 | $41,780 |
| 42 | AZArizona | $42,240 | $36,490 | $50,170 | 440 | $41,956 |
| 43 | OKOklahoma | $41,720 | $33,510 | $51,540 | 180 | $47,494 |
| 44 | NVNevada | $40,510 | $36,960 | $49,040 | 330 | $40,519 |
| 45 | UTUtah | $39,860 | $36,510 | $50,440 | 420 | $40,318 |
| 46 | MTMontana | $37,580 | $34,320 | $55,830 | 80 | $39,706 |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $35,950 | $28,950 | $55,790 | 270 | $41,352 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Gem and Diamond Workers, that changes the ranking: Connecticut leads on raw pay at $69,800, while Connecticut leads once prices are taken into account at $67,368.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Gem and Diamond Worker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Gem and Diamond Workers the most?
Connecticut reports the highest median wage for Gem and Diamond Workers at $69,800 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Virginia ($61,940) and New York ($61,720).
Which state pays Gem and Diamond Workers the least?
Arkansas reports the lowest median for Gem and Diamond Workers at $35,950 a year, $33,850 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Gem and Diamond Workers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Connecticut first at $67,368 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $69,800. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.