Craft Artists build judgment and decision making, social perceptiveness and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (79%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 79% | $52,540 | +14% | None |
| 2 | Potters, Manufacturing | 72% | $46,170Pay for the broader BLS group “Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Photographers | 70% | $44,660 | −3% | None |
| 4 | Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | 70% | $62,750 | +36% | None |
| 5 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | 66% | $41,600 | −10% | None |
| 6 | Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers | 64% | $41,640 | −10% | None |
| 7 | Etchers and Engravers | 64% | $43,310 | −6% | None |
| 8 | Gem and Diamond Workers | 64% | $52,540Pay for the broader BLS group “Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 63% | $97,150 | +111% | None |
| 10 | Patternmakers, Wood | 62% | $49,630 | +8% | None |
Compared with Craft Artists, median $46,080. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as craft artists (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
79% skill match · $52,540 · +14% pay
Instructing · Coordination · Negotiation
72% skill match · $46,170 (broader BLS group)
Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control · Quality Control Analysis
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
70% skill match · $44,660 · −3% pay
Instructing · Negotiation · Management of Personnel Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (79% skill match, median $52,540), Potters, Manufacturing (72% skill match, median $46,170) and Photographers (70% skill match, median $44,660), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 14 pay more than craft artists at the median. The biggest increases: Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (+111%, $97,150), Film and Video Editors (+64%, $75,420) and Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film (+63%, $74,990).
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.