Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media · Holland code ARE

Craft Artists

Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.

Also called: Artist, Fiber Artist, Glass Artist, Textile Artist, Ceramic Artist, Decorative Arts Production Artist, Fine Craft Artist, Goldsmith.

O*NET 27-1012.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $46,080; Middle half earn $35,020 to $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 26% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5
Writing2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Design3.9 / 5
Fine Arts3.7 / 5
Sales and Marketing3.6 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.3 / 5
Production and Processing3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic82
Investigative14
Artistic82
Social11
Enterprising31
Conventional28

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

artistic painter · DE Kunstmaler/Kunstmalerin · FR artiste peintre
ceramicist · DE Keramiker/Keramikerin · FR céramiste
glass artist · DE Kunstglaser/Kunstglaserin · FR vitrailliste
sculptor · DE Bildhauer/Bildhauerin · FR sculpteur/sculptrice
street artist · DE Straßenartist/Straßenartistin · FR artiste urbain/artiste urbaine
harpsichord maker · DE Cembalobauer/Cembalobauerin · FR facteur de clavecins/factrice de clavecins

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers (5442)36,100 employed
Artists (3411)64,500 employed
Textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c. (5419)11,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.93. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (27-1012).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test