The median pay for Watch and Clock Repairers is $67,230 a year ($32.32/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 0.3% through 2035, with about 100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 49-9064
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Watch and Clock Repairer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $67,230a year, or $32.32/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $34KTop 10% $110K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.3%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1001,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.4K
- Projected 20351.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.4K Projected 2035 1.4K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school1.2%
- High school22.4%
- Certificate45.8%
- Some college7.5%
- Associate's21.5%
- Post-bacc certificate1.7%
Highest education held by watch and clock repairers Segment Value Less than high school 1.2% High school 22.4% Certificate 45.8% Some college 7.5% Associate's 21.5% Post-bacc certificate 1.7%
Also advertised as: Antique Clock Repairer, Clock Repair Technician, Clock Repairer, Watch and Clock Repairer, Watch Estimator, Watch Repair Person.
Pay
How much do Watch and Clock Repairers make?
Every watch and clock repairer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$67,230
Middle half earn $47,650 to $91,490
- 10th
- $34,240
- 25th
- $47,650
- 75th
- $91,490
- 90th
- $109,990
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,240 |
| 25th | $47,650 |
| Median | $67,230 |
| 75th | $91,490 |
| 90th | $109,990 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $67,230
- Median hourly wage
- $32.32/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $70,840
- People employed
- 1,310
Versus all US occupations
At $67,230, Watch and Clock Repairers earn 32% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $16,250 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $61,150, this is 10% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $109,990 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,240, a gap of 3.2×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 42% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $110,050, and still leads at $99,395 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Watch and Clock Repairers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $110,050 | $99,395 | N/A |
| 2New York | $95,060 | $88,083 | N/A |
| 3Florida | $81,850 | $79,148 | N/A |
| 4Virginia | $80,410 | $79,532 | N/A |
| 5Maryland | $62,440 | $59,490 | N/A |
| 6Texas | $59,950 | $61,768 | N/A |
| 7Pennsylvania | $59,880 | $61,370 | N/A |
| 8Colorado | $49,990 | $48,509 | 60 |
Job outlook
Is Watch and Clock Repairer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Watch and Clock Repairers | −0.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Watch and Clock Repairers to change -0.3% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 0 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 100 openings are projected each year, 7.1% of the 1,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Watch and Clock Repairer
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as watch and clock repairers.
- Post-Secondary Certificate45.8%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)22.4%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree21.5%
- Some College Courses7.5%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate1.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 45.8% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 22.4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 21.5% |
| Some College Courses | 7.5% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 1.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Watch and Clock Repairer do?
Repair, clean, and adjust mechanisms of timing instruments, such as watches and clocks. Includes watchmakers, watch technicians, and mechanical timepiece repairers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Reassemble timepieces, replacing glass faces and batteries, before returning them to customers.
- Perform regular adjustment and maintenance on timepieces, watch cases, and watch bands.
- Test timepiece accuracy and performance, using meters and other electronic instruments.
- Clean, rinse, and dry timepiece parts, using solutions and ultrasonic or mechanical watch-cleaning machines.
- Repair or replace broken, damaged, or worn parts on timepieces, using lathes, drill presses, and hand tools.
- Oil moving parts of timepieces.
- Adjust timing regulators, using truing calipers, watch-rate recorders, and tweezers.
- Demagnetize mechanisms, using demagnetizing machines.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayConflict situations are rare.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Monitoring2.6
- Writing2.3
- Active Learning2.3
- Mathematics2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.6 |
| Writing | 2.3 |
| Active Learning | 2.3 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Repairing3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Equipment Maintenance3.0
- Troubleshooting3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Repairing | 3.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Watch and Clock Repairer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Watch and Clock Repairer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.5
- Conventional4.4
- Investigative2.0
- Social1.4
- Artistic1.3
- Enterprising1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Watch and Clock Repairer
O*NET related occupations
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Most earn $36K to $63K
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Most earn $34K to $66K
−3.4%High school - Production
More installation, maintenance, and repair careers
Median annual pay, with watch and clock repairers highlighted
- Aircraft Mechanic$79,870
- Watch and Clock Repairer$67,230
- Millwright$65,700
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic$64,520
- Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist$61,770
- Medical Equipment Repairer$61,660
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer$61,010
- Automotive Body and Related Repairer$54,890
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic$50,620
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic | $79,870 |
| Watch and Clock Repairer | $67,230 |
| Millwright | $65,700 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $64,520 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist | $61,770 |
| Medical Equipment Repairer | $61,660 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanic and Installer | $61,010 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairer | $54,890 |
| Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic | $50,620 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within watch and clock repairer
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Watch and Clock Repairer appears on
Questions
Watch and Clock Repairer: frequently asked questions
How much do Watch and Clock Repairers make?
Watch and Clock Repairers earn a median of $67,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 32% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $32.32/hr. The middle half earn between $47,650 and $91,490. The top 10% earn $109,990 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Watch and Clock Repairer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Watch and Clock Repairers. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 45.8% hold post-secondary certificate.
Is Watch and Clock Repairer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.3% over 2025–2035, a loss of 0 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Watch and Clock Repairer do?
Repair, clean, and adjust mechanisms of timing instruments, such as watches and clocks. A core O*NET task: reassemble timepieces, replacing glass faces and batteries, before returning them to customers. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Watch and Clock Repairers the most?
The highest state medians for Watch and Clock Repairers are California ($110,050), New York ($95,060), Florida ($81,850) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Watch and Clock Repairer?
O*NET scores Watch and Clock Repairers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.