Craft Artist Career
Craft artists hand make decorative and functional pieces of art for consumers to purchase, as well as, for exhibition. There are a variety of materials and processes that are embraced by professional craft artists. This spectrum covers fiber art, ceramics, glass blowing, woodworking, furniture making, and more.
Possessing a thorough knowledge of an individual’s craft and having a background in software specific to an individual’s craft and photoshop, is pivotal for craft artists who are self-employed. Artists may join guilds or shared studio spaces that result in exposure and support. Other craft artists find employment at large scale companies, for instance, in glass production.
Craft Artist Career Snapshot
Artists that pursue self-employment rent shared or private studio spaces, while artists employed by businesses, large and small, partake in both full and part-time work weeks based on the quality of their work and product demand. As of 2014, half of all U.S. working craft artists were considered self-employed.
Further details on a career as a craft artist are listed below (statistics from the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average yearly salary for craft artists.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a Bachelor’s degree while 20% have less than a High school diploma.
Craft Artist Education
No formal education is required to be a craft artist, only 24% of craft artists possess a bachelor’s degree, while 20% have less than a high school diploma, and 16% have a high school diploma or equivalent. Pending upon the craft, vocational training or related-experience is useful in order to be able to secure employment.
Craft Artist Job Duties
Duties vary by craft but may include developing physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial use, creating artwork for exhibitions, applying finishes to products, building models, writing proposals, developing technical illustrations, and monitoring current trends. Self-employed craft artists also promote their work, network with other artists, and complete custom pieces for clients.
Craft Artist Salaries
The median pay for artists in 2016 according to BLS.gov reports was $33,440. Salaries ranged from $20,820 for the lowest 10% to $99,670 for the highest 10%. Self-employed craft artists maintained the highest salaries in their disciplines.
Craft Artist Job Outlook
The employment of craft artists is only expected to grow 1% between 2014 and 2024, which is slower on average than most other occupations. Increased employment for artists is pending upon state and local economies, because the industry requires the support of consumers purchasing artwork.
Craft Artist Skills & Traits
| Craft Artist Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Craft Artists: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Active Listening • Reading Comprehension • Social Perceptiveness • Speaking | • Finger Dexterity • Originality • Arm-Hand Steadiness • Manual Dexterity | • Clay or modeling tools • Glass blowing instrument •Hand looms • Jewellers pliers | • Thinking Creatively • Handling and Moving Objects • Performing General Physical Activities • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work |
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