Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Craft Artists
Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-1012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 64% between 2004 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $21,840 | 310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $59,430 | 200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $37,740 | 160 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,790 | 70 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $52,070 | 50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $79,410 | 50 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $41,930 | 50 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $34,040 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $81,940 | 40 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $38,550 | 40 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $35,300 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $43,380 | 30 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics.
- Create functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials.
- Develop concepts or creative ideas for craft objects.
- Apply finishes to objects being crafted.
- Cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, or machinery.
- Set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes.
- Advertise products and work, using media such as internet advertising and brochures.
- Sketch or draw objects to be crafted.
- Pack products for shipping.
- Fabricate patterns or templates to guide craft production.
- Create prototypes or models of objects to be crafted.
- Develop product packaging, display, and pricing strategies.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Pack products for shipping.
O*NET 29.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 2
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| decorative painter | 7316.1 | broader |
| glass artist | 2651.7 | broader |
| porcelain painter | 7316.1.3 | broader |
| ceramicist | 2651.4 | broader |
| ceramic painter | 7316.1.1 | broader |
| glass painter | 7316.1.2 | broader |
| artisan papermaker | 7317.1 | broader |
| wood painter | 7316.1.4 | broader |
| antique furniture reproducer | 7522.1 | broader |
| basketmaker | 7317.2 | broader |
| carpet weaver | 7318.2 | broader |
| guitar maker | 7312.6.1 | broader |
| harp maker | 7312.6.2 | broader |
| harpsichord maker | 7312.3.1 | broader |
| made-up textile articles manufacturer | 7533.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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