How To Become A Craftsman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a craftsman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

You don't have to be crafty to become a craftsman. In fact, you'll just need to enjoy doing an honest day's work with your hands and take pride in your handiwork. As a craftsman, mastery, dedication to craft, and attention to details are the keys to being successful on the job. If that appeals to you, you might have what it takes to become a craftsman!

Some craftsmen are skilled at various tasks, while others specialize in a particular area of workmanship, such as trim carpentry, metal working, glass blowing, or cabinet making. Craftsmen also make die cuts, stain wood, or operate machinery, or design custom furniture. Regardless of their focus, all craftsmen utilize tools, such as hand tools, power tools, or machinery, to produce many different things you use every day--from furniture to vehicle parts.

To be a good craftsman, you'll need to be good at developing custom ideas, reading blueprints, and using machinery or tools. If you're interested in becoming a craftsman, a good way to get into this field would be to complete an apprenticeship where you can learn the trade.

ScoreCraftsmanUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,078

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

3.2

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 6.33%

Black or African American 4.49%

Hispanic or Latino 15.16%

Unknown 5.56%

White 67.82%

Gender

female 12.25%

male 87.75%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

3.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a craftsman

Explore craftsman education requirements

Most common craftsman degrees

Associate

40.2 %

Bachelor's

30.5 %

High School Diploma

18.2 %

Start to develop specific craftsman skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Procedures	9.86%
Ladders	7.92%
On-The-Job Training	7.68%
Hand Tools	7.44%
Troubleshoot	7.31%

Complete relevant craftsman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New craftsmen learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a craftsman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real craftsman resumes.

Gain additional craftsman certifications

Craftsman certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific craftsman certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for craftsmen include OSHA Safety Certificate and EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

More About Certifications

Research craftsman duties and responsibilities

Manage intermediate-level maintenance on fighter aircraft release and gun systems.
Realign QA inspections and reset times to known lower maintenance operations - improve effectiveness of inspections and reduce impact on operations.
Direct program audits and QA monitors.
Analyze all training and certification of assign airmen and NCO's.

Prepare your craftsman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your craftsman resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a craftsman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable craftsman resume templates

Build a professional craftsman resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your craftsman resume.