Craft Artists
Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.
- Median pay
- $46,080
- Doing it now
- 11,500
- By 2035
- Up 2%
- Usually needs
- No formal educational credential
a year
across the country
1,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Create functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials.
- Cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, or machinery.
- Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics.
- Apply finishes to objects being crafted.
- Develop concepts or creative ideas for craft objects.
- Set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes.
- Confer with customers to assess customer needs or obtain feedback.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and ArtisanrySee 15 colleges that teach it
- Fine and Studio ArtsSee 1,083 colleges that teach it
- Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralSee 317 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Creative and expressive
Hands-on and practical
Leading and persuading
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $46,080 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.