Craft Artists
Craft Artists (SOC 27-1012) earn a median $46,080 a year ($22.15 an hour) in the United States, with 4,580 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What craft artists do
Craft artists create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using techniques such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft. They develop concepts and creative ideas, sketch or draw objects to be crafted, set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes, and select materials based on qualities such as strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, and malleability. They cut, shape, fit, join, or mold materials using hand tools, power tools, or machines, apply finishes, and promote their work through channels such as online advertising and brochures. Alternate titles such as calligrapher, candle maker, ceramic artist, and china painter show the range of crafts. Their work is functional or decorative objects made by hand, which distinguishes it from fine artists, who create original artwork and are a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Art Objects Repairer, Artisan, Artist, Calligrapher, Candle Maker.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.48 | $16.84 | $22.15 | $28.00 | $34.61 | $23.91 | 4,580 |
| Annual | $25,960 | $35,020 | $46,080 | $58,240 | $71,990 | $49,740 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where craft artists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $26.58 | $30.05 | $48.34 | $62.67 | $98.27 | $53.09 | 170 | 0.01 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $55,290 | $62,500 | $100,540 | $130,360 | $204,390 | $110,420 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $18.19 | $24.10 | $29.70 | $31.96 | $35.37 | $27.41 | 140 | 0.05 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $37,830 | $50,120 | $61,780 | $66,470 | $73,560 | $57,020 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $12.50 | $18.09 | $28.20 | $34.40 | $35.48 | $26.34 | 190 | 0.06 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $25,990 | $37,630 | $58,650 | $71,540 | $73,790 | $54,790 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.21 | $22.50 | $26.29 | $28.00 | $34.61 | $25.72 | 870 | 0.06 | 2.11 |
| Annual | $35,790 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $58,240 | $71,990 | $53,500 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $16.61 | $17.71 | $25.66 | $27.56 | $27.56 | $23.20 | 50 | 0.07 | 2.44 |
| Annual | $34,560 | $36,830 | $53,380 | $57,310 | $57,320 | $48,250 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.21 | $22.50 | $26.29 | $28.00 | $34.61 | $25.72 | 870 | 0.06 | 2.11 |
| Annual | $35,790 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $58,240 | $71,990 | $53,500 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $12.48 | $12.48 | $12.48 | $20.56 | $23.07 | $16.88 | 290 | 0.07 | 2.24 |
| Annual | $25,960 | $25,960 | $25,960 | $42,770 | $47,990 | $35,110 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.08 | $19.70 | $23.42 | $25.92 | $38.85 | $24.52 | 270 | 0.03 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $35,530 | $40,980 | $48,710 | $53,910 | $80,800 | $51,000 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $15.45 | $16.47 | $20.00 | $21.80 | $29.33 | $21.05 | 230 | 0.04 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $32,140 | $34,260 | $41,600 | $45,340 | $61,000 | $43,780 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $12.50 | $18.09 | $28.20 | $34.40 | $35.48 | $26.34 | 190 | 0.06 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $25,990 | $37,630 | $58,650 | $71,540 | $73,790 | $54,790 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.58 | $30.04 | $48.28 | $62.67 | $99.32 | $54.37 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $55,290 | $62,480 | $100,410 | $130,360 | $206,590 | $113,080 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $9.42 | $23.26 | $35.63 | $44.71 | $45.78 | $33.66 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $19,600 | $48,370 | $74,110 | $92,990 | $95,210 | $70,020 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $19.54 | $21.44 | $25.81 | $28.20 | $28.20 | $25.18 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $40,640 | $44,600 | $53,680 | $58,660 | $58,660 | $52,370 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $19.11 | $23.05 | $24.55 | $36.39 | $37.50 | $26.91 | 130 | 0.11 | 3.61 |
| Annual | $39,740 | $47,940 | $51,060 | $75,700 | $78,000 | $55,980 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $18.07 | $18.93 | $23.70 | $30.84 | $32.73 | $26.69 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $37,590 | $39,380 | $49,290 | $64,150 | $68,080 | $55,510 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $12.48 | $12.48 | $12.48 | $12.48 | $22.89 | $14.90 | 190 | 0.10 | 3.32 |
| Annual | $25,960 | $25,960 | $25,960 | $25,960 | $47,610 | $30,990 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $19.11 | $23.05 | $24.55 | $36.39 | $37.50 | $26.91 | 130 | 0.11 | 3.61 |
| Annual | $39,740 | $47,940 | $51,060 | $75,700 | $78,000 | $55,980 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.58 | $30.04 | $48.28 | $62.67 | $99.32 | $54.37 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $55,290 | $62,480 | $100,410 | $130,360 | $206,590 | $113,080 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.19 | $16.19 | $23.66 | $32.73 | $32.73 | $24.79 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $33,670 | $33,670 | $49,200 | $68,080 | $68,080 | $51,560 | ||||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Hourly | $15.57 | $18.36 | $22.92 | $25.92 | $26.93 | $22.02 | 60 | 0.04 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $32,380 | $38,190 | $47,670 | $53,910 | $56,010 | $45,810 | ||||
Top industries employing craft artists
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers employ 29.0% of craft artists nationally (1,330 jobs) at a median $47,020 a year ($22.60 an hour), followed by Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers (10.7%) and Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing (7.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers NAICS 711500 | 1,330 | 29.0% | $47,020 | $22.60 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers NAICS 459100 | 490 | 10.7% | $40,200 | $19.33 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing NAICS 339900 | 330 | 7.2% | $55,430 | $26.65 |
| Amusement Parks and Arcades NAICS 713100 | 170 | 3.7% | $48,710 | $23.42 |
| Performing Arts Companies NAICS 711100 | 150 | 3.3% | $61,000 | $29.33 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (4,580). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $35,930 for craft artists in May 2021 and $46,080 in May 2025, with employment of 3,740 and 4,580.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $35,930 | $17.27 | 3,740 |
| May 2022 | $38,150 | $18.34 | 4,760 |
| May 2023 | $36,600 | $17.59 | 5,830 |
| May 2024 | $38,480 | $18.50 | 4,370 |
| May 2025 | $46,080 | $22.15 | 4,580 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
24 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $48.34 | $100,540 | $55,290 | $204,390 | 170 | 0.01 | 0.31 |
| 2 | Missouri profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $37,830 | $73,560 | 140 | 0.05 | 1.60 |
| 3 | Wisconsin profile | $28.20 | $58,650 | $25,990 | $73,790 | 190 | 0.06 | 2.15 |
| 4 | Texas profile | $26.29 | $54,690 | $35,790 | $71,990 | 870 | 0.06 | 2.11 |
| 5 | Maine profile | $25.66 | $53,380 | $34,560 | $57,320 | 50 | 0.07 | 2.44 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $24.55 | $51,060 | $39,740 | $78,000 | 170 | 0.09 | 2.93 |
| 7 | New York profile | $23.57 | $49,020 | $33,650 | $89,790 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.18 |
| 8 | Georgia profile | $23.50 | $48,880 | $19,600 | $95,210 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | Florida profile | $23.42 | $48,710 | $35,530 | $80,800 | 270 | 0.03 | 0.93 |
| 10 | Massachusetts profile | $22.91 | $47,660 | $38,320 | $76,010 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.44 |
| 11 | Arizona profile | $22.26 | $46,300 | $31,430 | $58,840 | ** | ** | ** |
| 12 | Washington profile | $21.21 | $44,120 | $39,150 | $54,720 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.79 |
| 13 | Colorado profile | $20.97 | $43,620 | $36,580 | $58,470 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Illinois profile | $20.69 | $43,040 | $33,670 | $68,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | Alaska profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $41,600 | $41,600 | ** | ** | ** |
| 16 | Pennsylvania profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $32,140 | $61,000 | 230 | 0.04 | 1.30 |
| 17 | Alabama profile | $19.62 | $40,800 | $21,520 | $44,270 | 70 | 0.03 | 1.13 |
| 18 | Ohio profile | $18.30 | $38,070 | $30,060 | $50,450 | 180 | 0.03 | 1.13 |
| 19 | South Carolina profile | $16.85 | $35,050 | $26,010 | $52,830 | 70 | 0.03 | 1.00 |
| 20 | Connecticut profile | $16.35 | $34,010 | $34,010 | $42,810 | 70 | 0.04 | 1.38 |
| 21 | Tennessee profile | $15.78 | $32,830 | $30,930 | $109,410 | ** | ** | ** |
| 22 | Minnesota profile | $13.25 | $27,560 | $24,780 | $60,820 | 140 | 0.05 | 1.57 |
| 23 | Michigan profile | $12.48 | $25,960 | $25,960 | $47,990 | 290 | 0.07 | 2.24 |
| – | Louisiana profile | * | * | * | * | 50 | 0.03 | 0.84 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (27-1010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 27-1012 Craft Artists.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 27-1012, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 27-1012.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.