Potters, Manufacturing
Production
Clay is centered on a potter's wheel, then raised and shaped by hand into wares such as vases and pitchers, with wheel speed changed as the walls thin. Handles get attached, pieces are moved aside to dry, and glazes are mixed and applied with tools such as spray guns before firing in gas or electric kilns. Production machines such as a pug mill or jigger are also used. Finished work may be prepared for sale or exhibition, including contact with shops and other outlets. The work suits people who like judging clay by feel and following a careful sequence from wet clay to fired ware.
Typical education: Some College Courses
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$46'170
Median Wage Market Position
$46'170
What you might do
- Shape vases and pitchers on a potter's wheel
- Fire pottery in a gas or electric kiln
- Mix and apply glazes with a spray gun
- Attach handles to formed pottery pieces
- Move finished pieces aside to dry
- Get pieces ready for sale or exhibition
Skills that matter
- Watching clay walls thin on the wheel
- Adjusting wheel speed by feel
- Hearing requests for a finished ware
- Deciding when to attach a handle
- Checking glaze coverage and form
- Talking with shops that show the work
AI & the future of this role
Automated forming equipment and digital design aids could absorb more repetitive shaping on production lines, while clay behavior, finishing, and quality checks still need attentive operators. Standardized ware looks more exposed to mechanization, though skilled hands remain useful for tricky pieces and finishing.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details