Craft Artists

The median annual wage for Craft Artists is $36,600, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $43,610, and an estimated 5,830 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +4% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of -11.6% (pay did not keep up with inflation). BLS projects employment will grow 2.1% between 2024 and 2034.

Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment

How the national median wage for Craft Artists has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.

National median wage trend for Craft Artists, nominal and inflation-adjusted, BLS OEWS.
Year	Median (nominal)	In 2023 $ (real)	Employment
2023	$36,600	$36,600	5,830
2022	$38,150	$39,720	4,760
2021	$35,930	$40,403	3,740
2020	$35,180	$41,418	4,090

Nominal change

+4%

Inflation (CPI)

+17.7%

Real change

-11.6%

Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)

The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).

Projected Growth

+2.1%

About average

Employment 2024

11,600

Projected 2034

11,900

Annual Openings

1,000

Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.

Highest-Paying Areas (2023)

Where Craft Artists earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $36,600. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.

Highest-paying areas for Craft Artists, BLS OEWS 2023.
Area	Median Annual	vs National	Employment
Maryland	$76,640	+109.4%	100
California	$68,700	+87.7%	480
Missouri	$65,500	+79%	—
Pennsylvania	$62,400	+70.5%	110
Georgia	$54,040	+47.7%	230
New York	$53,660	+46.6%	—
Vermont	$51,030	+39.4%	40
Colorado	$45,930	+25.5%	—
Oregon	$44,510	+21.6%	60
Arizona	$41,940	+14.6%	—