The median pay for Potters, Manufacturing is $46,170 a year ($22.20/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.8% through 2035, with about 5,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-9195
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Potter, Manufacturing in four numbers
- Median pay
- $46,170a year, or $22.20/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $62K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.8%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,10043,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202543K
- Projected 203545.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 43K Projected 2035 45.5K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school16%
- High school30.5%
- Some college30.9%
- Bachelor's17.7%
- Post-bacc certificate4.9%
Highest education held by potters, manufacturing Segment Value Less than high school 16% High school 30.5% Some college 30.9% Bachelor's 17.7% Post-bacc certificate 4.9%
Also advertised as: Clay Mixer, Glazer, Jigger Artisan, Jigger Machine Operator, Jiggerman, Kiln Worker.
Pay
How much do Potters, Manufacturing make?
Every potter, manufacturing in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$46,170
Middle half earn $39,280 to $53,000
- 10th
- $35,850
- 25th
- $39,280
- 75th
- $53,000
- 90th
- $61,530
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,850 |
| 25th | $39,280 |
| Median | $46,170 |
| 75th | $53,000 |
| 90th | $61,530 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $46,170
- Median hourly wage
- $22.20/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $47,500
- People employed
- 33,190
Versus all US occupations
At $46,170, Potters, Manufacturing earn 9% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,810 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 4% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $61,530 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,850, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 13% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Montana pays the most at $57,860, and still leads at $61,134 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Potters, Manufacturing the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Montana | $57,860 | $61,134 | 150 |
| 2Hawaii | $55,990 | $50,923 | 40 |
| 3Oregon | $52,740 | $51,025 | 410 |
| 4Connecticut | $52,520 | $50,690 | 170 |
| 5Washington | $51,780 | $48,387 | 1,130 |
| 6New Hampshire | $51,470 | $49,412 | 160 |
| 7Massachusetts | $50,550 | $47,798 | 1,200 |
| 8Maryland | $50,360 | $47,981 | 110 |
| 9Colorado | $49,530 | $48,063 | 390 |
| 10California | $49,190 | $44,427 | 3,590 |
Job outlook
Is Potter, Manufacturing a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Potters, Manufacturing | +5.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Potters, Manufacturing to change 5.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,100 openings are projected each year, 11.9% of the 43,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Potter, Manufacturing
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as potters, manufacturing.
- Some College Courses30.9%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)30.5%
- Bachelor's Degree17.7%
- Less than a High School Diploma16%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate4.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Some College Courses | 30.9% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 30.5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 17.7% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 16% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Potter, Manufacturing do?
Operate production machines such as pug mill, jigger machine, or potter's wheel to process clay in manufacture of ceramic, pottery and stoneware products.
Day-to-day tasks
- Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.
- Attach handles to pottery pieces.
- Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.
- Press thumbs into centers of revolving clay to form hollows, and press on the inside and outside of emerging clay cylinders with hands and fingers, gradually raising and shaping clay to desired forms and sizes.
- Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.
- Adjust wheel speeds according to the feel of the clay as pieces enlarge and walls become thinner.
- Maintain supplies of tools, equipment, and materials, and order additional supplies as needed.
- Prepare work for sale or exhibition, and maintain relationships with retail, pottery, art, and resource networks that can facilitate sale or exhibition of work.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Speaking2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Writing2.4
- Mathematics2.1
- Active Learning2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.8 |
| Writing | 2.4 |
| Mathematics | 2.1 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Operation and Control3.1
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.9
- Coordination2.6
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6
- Service Orientation2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.9 |
| Coordination | 2.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.6 |
| Service Orientation | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Potter, Manufacturing?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Potter, Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.9
- Conventional3.7
- Artistic2.2
- Investigative1.6
- Enterprising1.2
- Social1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Potter, Manufacturing
O*NET related occupations
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Molder, Shaper, and Caster, Except Metal and Plastic
$46,170median a year
Most earn $36K to $62K
+5.8%High school - Production
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$52,540median a year
Most earn $36K to $88K
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$41,600median a year
Most earn $31K to $61K
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More production careers
Median annual pay, with potters, manufacturing highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Potter, Manufacturing$46,170
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Potter, Manufacturing | $46,170 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Potter, Manufacturing appears on
Questions
Potter, Manufacturing: frequently asked questions
How much do Potters, Manufacturing make?
Potters, Manufacturing earn a median of $46,170 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.20/hr. The middle half earn between $39,280 and $53,000. The top 10% earn $61,530 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Potter, Manufacturing?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Potters, Manufacturing. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 30.9% hold some college courses.
Is Potter, Manufacturing a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.8% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Potter, Manufacturing do?
Operate production machines such as pug mill, jigger machine, or potter's wheel to process clay in manufacture of ceramic, pottery and stoneware products. A core O*NET task: move pieces from wheels so that they can dry. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Potters, Manufacturing the most?
The highest state medians for Potters, Manufacturing are Montana ($57,860), Hawaii ($55,990), Oregon ($52,740) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Potter, Manufacturing?
O*NET scores Potters, Manufacturing highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.