Craft Artists
Also called: Artist, Fiber Artist, Glass Artist, Textile ArtistCreate or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 15 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Artists and related workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 49% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40,800 | $28,340 to $44,270 | 70 |
| Alaska | $41,600 | $41,600 to $41,600 | not published |
| Arizona | $46,300 | $37,900 to $58,830 | not published |
| California | $100,540 | $62,500 to $130,360 | 170 |
| Colorado | $43,620 | $39,260 to $52,650 | not published |
| Connecticut | $34,010 | $34,010 to $34,260 | 70 |
| Florida | $48,710 | $40,980 to $53,910 | 270 |
| Georgia | $48,880 | $31,510 to $92,960 | not published |
| Illinois | $43,040 | $33,670 to $68,080 | not published |
| Louisiana | not published | not published | 50 |
| Maine | $53,380 | $36,830 to $57,310 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $47,660 | $39,870 to $59,810 | 50 |
| Michigan | $25,960 | $25,960 to $42,770 | 290 |
| Minnesota | $27,560 | $24,780 to $35,950 | 140 |
| Missouri | $61,780 | $50,120 to $66,470 | 140 |
| New York | $49,020 | $33,830 to $57,540 | 50 |
| Ohio | $38,070 | $32,820 to $43,040 | 180 |
| Oregon | $51,060 | $46,380 to $70,840 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,600 | $34,260 to $45,340 | 230 |
| South Carolina | $35,050 | $29,770 to $43,200 | 70 |
| Tennessee | $32,830 | $31,770 to $98,560 | not published |
| Texas | $54,690 | $46,800 to $58,240 | 870 |
| Washington | $44,120 | $40,230 to $48,570 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $58,650 | $37,630 to $71,540 | 190 |
Nationally: $46,080. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 15 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics. | Not published |
| Not much | Create functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop concepts or creative ideas for craft objects. | 0.05% |
| Not much | Cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, or machinery. | Not published |
| Not rated | Pack products for shipping. | Not published |
| AI + software | Advertise products and work, using media such as internet advertising and brochures. | under 0.01% |
See all 16 tasks
| Not much | Apply finishes to objects being crafted. | Not published |
| AI + software | Sketch or draw objects to be crafted. | Not published |
| Not much | Set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop product packaging, display, and pricing strategies. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Confer with customers to assess customer needs or obtain feedback. | 0.07% |
| Not much | Create prototypes or models of objects to be crafted. | Not published |
| AI + software | Research craft trends, venues, and customer buying patterns to inspire designs and marketing strategies. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate patterns or templates to guide craft production. | Not published |
| Not much | Plan and attend craft shows to market products. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop designs using specialized computer software. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- #16 Create artistic designs or performances
- #32 Monitor external affairs, trends, or events
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Create decorative objects or parts of objects | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Create artistic designs or performances | |||
| Monitor external affairs, trends, or events | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications |
Show all 13 activities
| Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data | |||
| Apply decorative finishes | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Develop business or marketing plans | |||
| Package objects |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Ideas or a brainstorm13%
- A document or report11%
- A plan or strategy7%
- Creative writing6%
- An explanation or answer5%
How they worked with Claude
43% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for craft artists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,024 moves out
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 12%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 7%
- 3 Computer Network Architects Very high +7.7% 6%
- 4 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
Where people moved in from
of 984 moves in
- 1 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 14%
- 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 4 Computer Network Architects Very high +7.7% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 17% less than high school
- 26% high school
- 26% postsecondary certificate
- 17% some college
- 9% bachelor's
- 4% post-bachelor's certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 14% high school
- 16% some college
- 8% associate's
- 44% bachelor's
- 12% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Artists and related workers” · 3,457 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Artists and related workers”
11 programs, such as Visual and Performing Arts, General, Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry and Art/Art Studies, General.
See all
- Visual and Performing Arts, General
- Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry
- Art/Art Studies, General
- Drawing
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Printmaking
- Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
- Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts
- Jewelry Arts
- Metal Arts
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (TAXIDERMIST (Profess & Kin)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Craft Artists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/27-1012.00