Potter or Ceramic Artist

A potter or ceramic artist designs and creates functional and decorative ceramic objects using clay and glazing techniques in a studio or workshop setting. They operate kilns, hand-mould or wheel-throw pieces, apply glazes, and may sell work directly to customers, galleries, or exhibitions. This role combines technical craft skill with artistic vision and business acumen in managing a creative practice.

Hand-throw or hand-mould clay on a pottery wheel to create vessels, sculptural forms, and functional ware. Prepare clay bodies by wedging, conditioning, and testing for appropriate plasticity and workability. Apply surface treatments including carving, incising, texturing, and slip decoration to leather-hard clay. Formulate, mix, and test glazes using oxides, feldspars, and other ceramic materials to achieve desired colours and finishes. Fire ceramic pieces in kilns at prescribed temperatures and atmospheres (oxidation, reduction, raku) to mature clay and fuse glazes. Troubleshoot kiln firing failures, glaze defects, and clay body issues to refine production techniques. Design bespoke ceramic commissions through consultation with clients to establish brief, aesthetic direction, and functional requirements. Photograph and document finished works for portfolio, website, social media, and exhibition submissions.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Income is unpredictable and often low, especially in the first 5 to 10 years. You'll spend money on studio space, clay, glazes, kiln running costs, and electricity. Many struggle to make a living wage from sales alone and need part-time teaching or other work. Physical toll includes repetitive strain, clay dust exposure, and kiln heat. Kiln failures can destroy weeks of work.

In practice, most work independently from home studios or shared maker spaces. Regional areas have established craft trails but smaller customer bases. Remote work isn't applicable. Success depends more on building your own customer base than location, though proximity to galleries and markets helps.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2114, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Improvement Identificationcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Community Development
• Digital Literacy
• Invoicing and Billing Administration
• Negotiation
• Record Management
• Research and Analysis
• Risk Identification

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026