Enameller
Also known as: metal enameller, jewelery artist, coating and enamelling operator, enamel dipper operator, cast metal enameller, enamel machine technician
About this occupation
Enamellers embellish metals such as gold, silver, copper, steel, cast iron or platinum by painting it. The enamel they apply, consists of coloured powdered glass.
Essential skills and knowledge
- coating substances
- perform enamelling
- fire the surface
- check quality of enamel
- detect product defects
- health and safety in the workplace
- operate metal polishing equipment
- ensure equipment availability
- prepare surface for enamelling
- metal smoothing technologies
- metal coating technologies
- prepare the enamel
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (O*NET 51-4193.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Speaking
US median pay: US$43,960 a year (2025), 32,410 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.5)
- ChemistryO*NET: ChemistryImportant (3.4)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.4)
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalImportant (3.3)
- Design and TechnologyO*NET: Design + Engineering and TechnologyImportant (3.2)
- Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentImportant (3.1)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.