Career Overview
Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.
Also Known As
- Artist
- Fiber Artist
- Glass Artist
- Textile Artist
Alternate Job Titles
- Art Objects Repairer
- Artisan
- Artist
- Calligrapher
- Candle Maker
- Ceramic Artist
- Ceramics Artist
- China Painter
- Colorer
- Colorist
- Copyist
- Craft Worker
- Crafter
- Crafts Worker
- Craftsman
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Design
- Fine Arts
- Sales and Marketing
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Originality
- Finger Dexterity
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Near Vision
- Manual Dexterity
- Visualization
- Fluency of Ideas
- Multilimb Coordination
- Control Precision
- Oral Comprehension
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Innovation
- Attention to Detail
- Initiative
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
- Support
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
Tools & Equipment
- Alcohol lamps
- Allen wrenches
- Aluminum silkscreening screens
- Angled paint brushes
- Artists' air brushes
- Artists' paint brushes
- Artists' palette knives
- Artists' palettes
- Bail shaping pliers
- Ball mills
- Bastard hand files
- Bead press machines
- Bead shaping molds
- Belt sanders
- Bench anvils
Work Environment
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $22,620 |
| Median | $38,480 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $65,850 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 4,370
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $49,140
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Education: Some College Courses
Median Salary: $60,560
Etchers and Engravers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $40,450
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $67,670
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $40,860
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.