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Ceramic Arts & Ceramics

Types of Degrees Ceramic Arts & Ceramics Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Ceramic Arts & Ceramics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	16
Bachelor’s Degree	68
Master’s Degree	64

What Ceramic Arts & Ceramics Majors Need to Know

Studies in Ceramic Arts & Ceramics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Ceramic Arts & Ceramics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Ceramic Arts & Ceramics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Ceramic Arts & Ceramics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Originality — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.7 / 7
Working with Computers	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ceramic Arts & Ceramics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Dreamweaver	Web page creation and editing software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	—
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates include:

• Scene Design Lecturer
• Music Instructor
• Graphic Design Professor
• Adjunct College Instructor
• Piano Teacher
• Open Rank Professor
• Voice Professor
• Adjunct Graphic Design Instructor
• Media Arts Professor
• Drama Teacher
• Arts Teacher
• Adjunct Music Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Elementary Art Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	32.8%
Doctoral degree	20.5%
Bachelor’s degree	14.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	9.3%
Some college courses	8.1%
Postsecondary certificate	6.6%
Less than a high school diploma	4.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ceramic Arts & Ceramics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81% of Ceramic Arts & Ceramics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	124	81.0%
Men	29	19.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	86	56.2%
Asian	7	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	21	13.7%
Black or African American	4	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.7%
Two or More Races	5	3.3%
Race Unknown	13	8.5%
International Students	13	8.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ceramic Arts & Ceramics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$25,613
4 years	$36,289
5 years	$41,536

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,536 — roughly 62% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Ceramic Arts & Ceramics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Ceramic Arts & Ceramics graduates earn a median of $36,289 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Fine and Studio Arts	50.07
Art History, Criticism and Conservation	50.0703
Art/Art Studies, General	50.0701
Drawing	50.0705
Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts	50.0712
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other	50.0799
Fine/Studio Arts, General	50.0702
Intermedia/Multimedia	50.0706
Jewelry Arts	50.0713
Metal Arts	50.0714
Painting	50.0708
Printmaking	50.0710

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.