BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasPotters, Manufacturing

O*NET · 51-9195.05

Potters, Manufacturing

Operate production machines such as pug mill, jigger machine, or potter's wheel to process clay in manufacture of ceramic, pottery and stoneware products.

Also called Clay Mixer · Glazer · Jigger Artisan · Jigger Machine Operator · Jiggerman · Kiln Worker · Manufacturing Potter · Pot Maker
7 more

Potter · Pottery and Porcelain Model Maker · Pottery Machine Operator · Pottery Manufacturer · Production Potter · Pugmill Operator · Thrower

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code RCA35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCARealistic · Conventional · Artistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic6.92
  • C Conventional3.69
  • A Artistic2.16
  • I Investigative1.64
  • E Enterprising1.19
  • S Social1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma16%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent31%
  • Some College Courses31%
  • Bachelor's Degree18%
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate5%
Related work experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (23%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (27%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (20%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Operations Monitoring3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor machine functions on an automated production line
  • Operation and Control3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Adjust the speed of assembly line equipment based on the product being assembled
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Monitoringbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
  • Active Listeningbasic3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Speakingbasic2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Social Perceptiveness2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Quality Control Analysis2.92.5Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Coordination2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Complex Problem Solving2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
Show the other 23
  • Writingbasic2.42.6Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Time Management2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Service Orientation2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Systems Analysis2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Mathematicsbasic2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Management of Material Resources2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Troubleshooting2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Active Learningbasic2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Persuasion2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Operations Analysis2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Systems Evaluation2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Instructing1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Learning Strategiesbasic1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Negotiation1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Equipment Selection1.60.8
  • Management of Financial Resources1.60.8
  • Technology Design1.60.8
  • Equipment Maintenance1.50.6
  • Sciencebasic1.50.6
  • Repairing1.40.6
  • Programming1.1—
  • Installation1.0—

Tasks

18 core · 5 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.4.8
  2. Adjust wheel speeds according to the feel of the clay as pieces enlarge and walls become thinner.4.6
  3. Position balls of clay in centers of potters' wheels, and start motors or pump treadles with feet to revolve wheels.4.6
  4. Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.4.6
  5. Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.4.6
  6. Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.4.6
  7. Prepare work for sale or exhibition, and maintain relationships with retail, pottery, art, and resource networks that can facilitate sale or exhibition of work.4.5
  8. Attach handles to pottery pieces.4.5
  9. 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.4.4
  10. Smooth surfaces of finished pieces, using rubber scrapers and wet sponges.4.3
  11. Pack and ship pottery to stores or galleries for retail sale.4.3
  12. Pull wires through bases of articles and wheels to separate finished pieces.4.2
Show the other 11
  1. Examine finished ware for defects and measure dimensions, using rule and thickness gauge.4.2
  2. Verify accuracy of shapes and sizes of objects, using calipers and templates.4.2
  3. Design spaces to display pottery for sale.4.2
  4. Maintain supplies of tools, equipment, and materials, and order additional supplies as needed.4.0
  5. Operate pug mills to blend and extrude clay.3.9
  6. Perform test-fires of pottery to determine how to achieve specific colors and textures.3.8
  7. Start machine units and conveyors and observe lights and gauges on panel board to verify operational efficiency.4.6
  8. Operate drying chambers to dry or finish molded ceramic ware.3.8
  9. Adjust pressures, temperatures, and trimming tool settings as required.3.8
  10. Design clay forms and molds, and decorations for forms.3.6
  11. Teach pottery classes.2.2

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Fine Arts4.05.1Level 4 looks like: Play a minor part in a local theater play
  • Production and Processing3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Design3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Design plans for remodeling a kitchen
  • Customer and Personal Service3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Chemistry3.23.7Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Administration and Management3.14.0Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Sales and Marketing3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Introduce clients to a new line of products
  • Engineering and Technology3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
Show all 33
  • Mathematics3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Mechanical2.93.2Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
  • English Language2.83.2Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Public Safety and Security2.82.7
  • Administrative2.72.7
  • Communications and Media2.63.0Level 4 looks like: Host a music radio show
  • Economics and Accounting2.52.3Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Education and Training2.52.8
  • Computers and Electronics2.43.0Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Psychology2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Transportation2.32.5Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Physics2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • History and Archeology1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Telecommunications1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Law and Government1.61.4Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Geography1.5—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.51.4Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Building and Construction1.4—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Foreign Language1.3—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.3—
  • Food Production1.2—
  • Biology1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Thread a needle
  • Finger Dexterity3.93.8Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Manual Dexterity3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Control Precision3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Adjust farm tractor controls
  • Near Vision3.63.8
  • Visualization3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Multilimb Coordination3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Operate a forklift truck in a warehouse
  • Category Flexibility3.13.1Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
Show all 52
  • Deductive Reasoning3.13.1Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Information Ordering3.13.1Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Originality3.13.5Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Selective Attention3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Fluency of Ideas3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Inductive Reasoning3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Oral Comprehension3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Understand a television commercial
  • Oral Expression3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Place an order at a restaurant drive-thru
  • Problem Sensitivity3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Rate Control3.02.9
  • Speech Recognition3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Visual Color Discrimination3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Extent Flexibility2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Speech Clarity2.92.9
  • Static Strength2.92.9
  • Trunk Strength2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Written Comprehension2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Far Vision2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Flexibility of Closure2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Response Orientation2.82.8Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Carve roast beef in a cafeteria
  • Depth Perception2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Written Expression2.62.9
  • Dynamic Strength2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Reaction Time2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Time Sharing2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Stamina2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Gross Body Coordination2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Auditory Attention1.91.9Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Memorization1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Speed of Closure1.91.5
  • Spatial Orientation1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.81.5Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Glare Sensitivity1.60.6
  • Peripheral Vision1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Explosive Strength1.50.6
  • Night Vision1.50.5
  • Sound Localization1.50.5
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.3—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Handling and Moving Objects4.45.9
  • Thinking Creatively4.14.6Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Controlling Machines and Processes4.05.1Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.94.2Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.43.6Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
Show all 41
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Getting Information3.22.8
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Selling or Influencing Others3.22.7
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.12.3Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization2.93.2Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events2.92.8
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.82.6
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards2.72.6
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.72.3Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Documenting/Recording Information2.52.1Level 1 looks like: Record the weight of a patient during a routine health exam
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge2.52.8
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates2.31.9Level 1 looks like: Write brief messages to others
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.21.7Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Processing Information2.22.4Level 1 looks like: Calculate the costs for shipping packages
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Working with Computers2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.01.2Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Coaching and Developing Others1.80.8Level 1 looks like: Show a coworker how to operate a piece of equipment
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Training and Teaching Others1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Give coworkers brief instructions on a simple procedural change
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Developing and Building Teams1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Assisting and Caring for Others1.40.9Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others1.40.8Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.1—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.6
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.5
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.4
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.3
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3
  • Exposed to Contaminants4.2
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.2
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.0
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions4.0
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks3.9

Technology

3 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (2)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
Other tools (1)
  • Inventory control software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
  2. Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
  3. Craft Artists
  4. Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
  5. Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
  6. Etchers and Engravers
  7. Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
  8. Foundry Mold and Coremakers
  9. Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers
  10. Sewers, Hand

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

Compare any occupation →

Other O*NET occupations whose importance ratings on the 35 skills both rate are nearest to this one's, with the biggest differences named. A plain rule, not a hidden score.

Use this in your own job architecture

BlissPoint Organization Viewer can link a role directly to this occupation and suggest these skills as that role's starting requirements.

Try it free →

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.