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

$38,480median annual wage, May 2024

4,370people employed, United States

▲ 2.1%projected change, 2024→2034

1,000openings a year, incl. replacements

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

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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
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$79,410	50

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 5 areas with the most people in this occupation

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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.

Critical Thinking3.1

Reading Comprehension3.0

Active Listening3.0

Speaking3.0

Monitoring3.0

Writing2.8

Active Learning2.8

Mathematics2.1

Learning Strategies2.0

Science1.0

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Facebook●DRAWSTITCH Artistic Sewing SuiteElectric Quilt Quilt Design WizardEmail softwareEmbroidery design softwareFloriani MDQ My Decorative QuilterJohn Hesselberth and Ron Roy GlazeMasterPattern design softwareSales management softwareSmugMug FlickrTwitterWeb browser software

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.

3 / 5Medium preparation — vocational training or an associate degree, plus 1–2 years of work.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team−2.3 below average

Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities−1.8 below average

Contact With Others−1.8 below average

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams−1.5 below average

Physical Proximity−1.5 below average

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results−1.4 below average

Frequency of Decision Making−1.4 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)26%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)26%

Less than a High School Diploma17%

Some College Courses17%

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.

Artistic5.9

Realistic5.9

Enterprising2.9

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.

Judgment and Decision Making2.9

Social Perceptiveness2.9

Complex Problem Solving2.8

Persuasion2.8

Service Orientation2.8

Operations Analysis2.6

Coordination2.5

Time Management2.5

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

DesignFine ArtsSales and MarketingEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceProduction and Processing

Abilities it leans on

OriginalityFinger DexterityArm-Hand SteadinessNear VisionManual DexterityVisualization

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.

InkerFramerArtistArtisanModelerColorerCopyistLuthierCrafterQuilterOpaquerColoristToy MakerGoldsmith

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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I$58,760II$37,440III$136,652

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$29Occupation reportPay where you are, conditions, preparation, education, what you carry into another job.$49Professional reportAdds two decades of pay, industries, geography, what changed, adjacent occupations and what to study.$99International offerAdds named employers and their actual rates from visa filings, the seniority pay ladder and the cities that hire.

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What you learn	$29	$49	$99
What it pays in your city and industry	✓	✓	✓
Working conditions, preparation, education	✓	✓	✓
What you carry into another occupation	✓	✓	✓
What this job is called in postings	✓	✓	✓
How pay changed over the years	brief	✓	✓
Where the industry changes the number	—	✓	✓
Where the work actually is	—	✓	✓
What appeared and disappeared in the job	—	✓	✓
How long it takes to become competent	—	✓	✓
Where to move next and what to learn	—	✓	✓
What AI is already changing in this job	—	✓	✓
What your tools are worth on the market	—	✓	✓
What to study to get in	—	✓	✓
What the same work pays in Britain	—	—	✓
What the same work pays in Canada	—	—	✓
Who hires, by name, and at what rates	—	—	✓
The money ladder by skill level	—	—	✓
Cities that actually sponsor visas	—	—	✓
Sections in the report, typically	73–7	155–16	198–23
Who it is for	If you are deciding whether this work is worth your time.	If you are in the occupation and deciding where to move next.	If you are aiming for an offer abroad.

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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

+Floriani MDQ My Decorative Quilter+SmugMug Flickr

No longer listed 1

−Floriani MDQ My Decorative Quilter Quilting Design Software

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”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

InkerFramerArtistPotterQuilterCopyistOpaquerModelerLuthierColorerPainterArtisan

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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