Best degree programs for Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 5 schools train Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $62,620 median wage, 250 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 5 schools train timing device assemblers and adjusters, graduating 78 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking. The job pays a median of $62,620 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About timing device assemblers and adjusters
Perform precision assembling or adjusting, within narrow tolerances, of timing devices such as digital clocks or timing devices with electrical or electronic components.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0408 | 78 | 100.0% | 5 | $30,986 | $16,687 |
Top 5 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris Junior College Paris, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 39 | Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking | 38% | — | — |
| 2 | Pinellas Technical College - St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking | 60% | — | — |
| 3 | Gem City College Quincy, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking | 87% | $13,910 | — |
| 4 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking | 33% | — | — |
| 5 | North Bennet Street School Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking | 90% | $35,199 | — |
What timing device assemblers and adjusters earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Assemble and install components of timepieces to complete mechanisms, using watchmakers' tools and loupes.
- Observe operation of timepiece parts and subassemblies to determine accuracy of movement, and to diagnose causes of defects.
- Test operation and fit of timepiece parts and subassemblies, using electronic testing equipment, tweezers, watchmakers' tools, and loupes.
- Replace specified parts to repair malfunctioning timepieces, using watchmakers' tools, loupes, and holding fixtures.
- Disassemble timepieces such as watches, clocks, and chronometers so that repairs can be made.
- Clean and lubricate timepiece parts and assemblies, using solvents, buff sticks, and oil.
- Examine components of timepieces such as watches, clocks, or chronometers for defects, using loupes or microscopes.
- Bend parts, such as hairsprings, pallets, barrel covers, and bridges, to correct deficiencies in truing or endshake, using tweezers.
Skills
- Monitoring2.9
- Active Listening2.9
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Speaking2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Writing2.5
- Learning Strategies2.1
- Active Learning2.1
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical3.6
- Mathematics3.0
- Production and Processing2.8
- Engineering and Technology2.7
- Education and Training2.6
- Customer and Personal Service2.4
Abilities
- Finger Dexterity4.0
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.9
- Near Vision3.5
- Manual Dexterity3.4
- Problem Sensitivity3.4
- Control Precision3.1
Core activities
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment4.1
- Handling and Moving Objects3.9
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.7
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.7
- Controlling Machines and Processes3.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.5
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Timing Device Assembler
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
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.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 47.0408Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Timing Device Assembler?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Watchmaking and Jewelrymaking, which awarded 78 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Timing Device Assembler?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 78 people a year.
How much do timing device assemblers and adjusters earn?+
The median is $62,620 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $27,880 at the 10th percentile to $78,270 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for timing device assemblers and adjusters growing?+
BLS projects a -17.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 0 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
5 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do timing device assemblers and adjusters work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Clockmaker, Watchmaker, Watch Technician, Calibration Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-2061.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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