Creative & Media
Craft Artists
Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.
Median salary (BLS)
$46,080
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$26k – $72k
Job outlook
+2% (about average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $91,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Craft Artists
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Craft Artists
Entry / Junior
$25,960
~2 yrs to advance
Craft Artists
Established
$46,080
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Craft Artists
Senior
$59,035
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Creative & Media
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.