Craft Artists
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and CommunicationsO*NET 27-1012.00United States
Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.
- Median annual earnings
- $17,389
- Projected change
- +23.3%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 35.2K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
43.5% of the workforce
Growing to 43.38K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What craft artists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Confer with customers to assess customer needs or obtain feedback.
- Plan and attend craft shows to market products.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $4,854
- 25th percentile
- $9,425
- 50th percentile
- $17,389
- 75th percentile
- $30,915
- 90th percentile
- $58,351
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $17,389 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+23.3%much faster than average
202535,199 jobs
2035 projected43,383 jobs
8,184 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 43.5%
- Certificate
- 26.1%
- Some college
- 17.4%
- Bachelor's degree
- 13.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Framers697 postings
- 02Custom Framers288 postings
- 03Craftsmen212 postings
- 04Picture Framers195 postings
- 05Clothiers189 postings
- 06Custom Picture Framers127 postings
- 07Summer Interns120 postings
- 08Makers89 postings
- 09Soccer Players82 postings
- 10Foremen74 postings
- 11Electrical Instructors70 postings
- 12Craft Managers58 postings
- 13Sculptors55 postings
- 14Woodworkers55 postings
- 15Goldsmiths47 postings
- 16Technicians40 postings
- 17Player Agents39 postings
- 18Arts and Crafts Instructors34 postings
- 19Laboratory Processors33 postings
- 20Composite Technicians32 postings
Top employers
- 01Michaels1,090 postings
- 02Guitar Center Stores188 postings
- 03Huntington Ingalls Industries159 postings
- 04Hobby Lobby Stores108 postings
- 05Camp Galileo Summer Quest Pasadena85 postings
- 06National Staffing Solutions57 postings
- 07Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp50 postings
- 08Galileo Learning48 postings
- 09Affordable Care38 postings
- 10Gaylor Electric28 postings
- 11Backstage International Ltd24 postings
- 12Athletes Global23 postings
- 13Aerotek19 postings
- 14General Motors17 postings
- 15Handyman Connection17 postings
- 16Black & Veatch16 postings
- 17Abbot Art14 postings
- 18Facility Solutions Group14 postings
- 19Glidewell Dental14 postings
- 20Apple13 postings
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