Craft Artists vs Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers: $46K vs $39K Median Pay

Craft Artists vs Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers: what changes?

Consider Craft Artists if you want to create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft. Consider Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers if you would rather plan and erect commercial displays, such as those in windows and interiors of retail stores and at trade exhibitions. Entry credentials differ: Craft Artists, no formal educational credential; Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers, high school diploma or equivalent.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Craft Artists and Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Craft Artists

National median pay (2025): $46,080
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,000

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (11,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Craft Artists brief

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

National median pay (2025): $39,390
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 17,200

Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers brief

How the national numbers differ

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers has the edge on annual openings

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers is at 17,200 annual openings, compared with 1,000 annual openings for Craft Artists.

Craft Artists has the edge on median pay

Craft Artists is at $46,080, compared with $39,390 for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers.

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers has the edge on projected growth

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers is at 2.7% projected growth, compared with 2% projected growth for Craft Artists.

29.3/ 100

Craft Artists

45.4/ 100

Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence