Occupations · Production

Potters, Manufacturing

Operate production machines such as pug mill, jigger machine, or potter's wheel to process clay in manufacture of ceramic, pottery and stoneware products.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-9195.05

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.
Start machine units and conveyors and observe lights and gauges on panel board to verify operational efficiency.
Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.
Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.
Adjust wheel speeds according to the feel of the clay as pieces enlarge and walls become thinner.
Position balls of clay in centers of potters' wheels, and start motors or pump treadles with feet to revolve wheels.
Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.
Prepare work for sale or exhibition, and maintain relationships with retail, pottery, art, and resource networks that can facilitate sale or exhibition of work.
Attach handles to pottery pieces.
Press thumbs into centers of revolving clay to form hollows, and press on the inside and outside of emerging clay cylinders with hands and fingers, gradually raising and shaping clay to desired forms and sizes.
Pack and ship pottery to stores or galleries for retail sale.
Smooth surfaces of finished pieces, using rubber scrapers and wet sponges.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Monitoring3.0

Critical Thinking3.0

Active Listening3.0

Speaking2.9

Reading Comprehension2.8

Writing2.4

Mathematics2.1

Active Learning2.0

Learning Strategies1.8

Science1.5

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

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

Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Outlook●Inventory control 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

Exposed to Contaminants+1.4 above average

Physical Proximity−1.2 below average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls+1.2 above average

Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People−1.0 below average

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions+0.9 above average

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team−0.9 below average

Deal With External Customers or the Public in General+0.9 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2020-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Some College Courses31%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)30%

Bachelor's Degree18%

Less than a High School Diploma16%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2020-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic6.9

Conventional3.7

Artistic2.2

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools such as spray guns.
Decorate pottery using tools such as brushes.
Load and unload pottery from kilns.
Mix chemicals according to recipes to create glazes.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Operations Monitoring3.2

Operation and Control3.1

Social Perceptiveness2.9

Quality Control Analysis2.9

Judgment and Decision Making2.6

Complex Problem Solving2.6

Coordination2.6

Service Orientation2.4

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Fine ArtsProduction and ProcessingDesignCustomer and Personal ServiceChemistryAdministration and Management

Abilities it leans on

Arm-Hand SteadinessManual DexterityFinger DexterityNear VisionControl PrecisionVisualization

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.

GlazerPotterThrowerJiggermanPot MakerClay MixerKiln WorkerJigger ArtisanPugmill OperatorProduction PotterManufacturing PotterPottery ManufacturerJigger Machine OperatorPottery Machine Operator

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

PotterArtistGlazerEtcherThrowerSculptorJiggermanPot MakerClay MixerMold MakerClay ArtistModel Maker

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
kiln firer	8181.10	close
pottery and porcelain caster	8181.11	close
production potter	7314.2	close
ceramicist	2651.4	broader
auger press operator	8181.1	broader
dry press operator	8181.5	broader
hand brick moulder	7314.1	broader
clay products dry kiln operator	8181.3.1	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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