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Craft Artist

Academic programs / Undergraduate degrees / Career opportunities / Craft Artist

Craft Artist

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

Potential job titles in this career
Artist, Ceramic Artist, Decorative Arts Production Artist, Fiber Artist, Fine Craft Artist, Glass Artist, Goldsmith, Hand-Weaver, Tapestry Artist, Textile Artist

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.
What will I do?
  • 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.
  • In this career, it is important to know
    Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    It's useful to be good at
    Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

    Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

    Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

    Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

    Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

    Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

    Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

    Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

    Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

    Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
    Employment trends
    Location Pay period 2024
    10% 25% Median% 75% 90%
    United States Hourly $10.88 $15.07 $18.50 $25.04 $31.66
    Yearly $22,620 $31,350 $38,480 $52,070 $65,850
    Arizona Hourly $14.35 $14.40 $14.40 $16.35 $21.46
    Yearly $29,850 $29,950 $29,950 $34,010 $44,650
    2024 Median%
    United States $18.50 Hourly $38,480 Yearly
    Arizona $14.40 Hourly $29,950 Yearly

    Employment (2024)
    11,600 employees
    Projected growth (2024 - 2034)
    Slower than average (2% to 3%)
    Projected job openings (2024 - 2034)
    1,000
    * Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
    What are accelerated programs?
    Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

    Accelerated master's

    These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

    Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
    What are concurrent programs?
    Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
    What are joint programs?
    Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

    What constitutes a new program?
    ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.
    What are online programs?
    ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
    What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?
    The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.

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