Careers / Potters, Manufacturing
Potters, Manufacturing — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$46,170
United States, 2025
Employment
33,190
United States, 2025
Typical education
Some College Courses
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate production machines such as pug mill, jigger machine, or potter's wheel to process clay in manufacture of ceramic, pottery and stoneware products.
- O*NET code
- 51-9195.05
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.
- Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.
- 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.
- Position balls of clay in centers of potters' wheels, and start motors or pump treadles with feet to revolve wheels.
- Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.
- Prepare work for sale or exhibition, and maintain relationships with retail, pottery, art, and resource networks that can facilitate sale or exhibition of work.
- Attach handles to pottery pieces.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$35,850
25th percentile
$39,280
75th percentile
$53,000
90th percentile
$61,530
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Operation and Control3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Quality Control Analysis2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Coordination2.6
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 5 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
5
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
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National median $58,000
Compare with Potters, ManufacturingSupplemental
National median $61,290
Compare with Potters, ManufacturingHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland, NJ | $68,490 | 150 | 2025 |
| Bozeman, MT | $61,010 | 50 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $60,130 | 130 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $59,990 | 70 | 2025 |
| New Orleans, LA | $59,320 | 40 | 2025 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $58,570 | 40 | 2025 |
| MT | $57,860 | 150 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $57,300 | 400 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $56,770 | 660 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $56,320 | 80 | 2025 |
| Spokane, WA | $56,110 | 100 | 2025 |
| HI | $55,990 | 40 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $55,530 | 500 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $54,920 | 220 | 2025 |
| Albany, NY | $54,500 | 50 | 2025 |
| Bend, OR | $54,410 | 40 | 2025 |
| OR | $52,740 | 410 | 2025 |
| Joplin, MO | $52,560 | 70 | 2025 |
| CT | $52,520 | 170 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $52,220 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Potters, Manufacturing to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.