Production · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Glazer, Jiggerman, Potter, Production Potter, Clay Mixer, Jigger Artisan, Jigger Machine Operator, Kiln Worker.

O*NET 51-9195.05

At a glance

US median annual pay: $46,170; Middle half earn $39,280 to $53,000. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Some College Courses; 31% 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.

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.
Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.
Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.
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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Writing2.4 / 5

Knowledge areas

Fine Arts4.0 / 5
Production and Processing3.9 / 5
Design3.6 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.4 / 5
Chemistry3.2 / 5
Administration and Management3.1 / 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.

Realistic99
Investigative11
Artistic19
Social0
Enterprising3
Conventional45

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)

ceramicist · DE Keramiker/Keramikerin · FR céramiste
hand brick moulder · DE Handziegelmacher/Handziegelmacherin · FR briquetier mouleur à la main/briquetière mouleuse à la main
production potter · DE Keramiker – Gebrauchskeramik/Keramikerin – Gebrauchskeramik · FR potier/potière
ceramic painter · DE Industriekeramiker Dekorationstechnik/Industriekeramikerin Dekorationstechnik · FR peintre sur céramique
auger press operator · DE Bediener von Tonerde-Strangpressen/Bedienerin von Tonerde-Strangpressen · FR opérateur de presse à vis sans fin/opératrice de presse à vis sans fin
kiln firer · DE Glasierer/Glasiererin · FR conducteur de four en industrie du verre et de la céramique/conductrice de four en industrie du verre et de la céramique

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Artists (3411)64,500 employed
Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers (5441)19,400 employed
Process operatives n.e.c. (8119)26,300 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 “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. 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, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

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 -1.18. 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 (51-9195).

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.

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