Salary
Average Salary: $31,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,294,188
Potters make around $31,000 per year (source). We'll level with you: it's not great. Furthermore (there's always a "furthermore," isn't there?), the average is skewed by the high-earning top ten percent of potters—those folks living in the pottery hotbeds of Vermont, Massachusetts, Washington, and Illinois (source). The middle fifty percent of potters—you know, that space where you're most likely to find yourself—make around $29,000 (source).
Many potters work as freelancers, which can be great for your free spirit...but less great for your wallet. Freelancing isn't your ticket to big bucks, especially since it delivers a "feast or famine" income—that is, some months you get more money, and some you get less. Your wallet will be inflating and deflating like an accordion, especially when you're just starting out.
As a self-employed worker, you won't have the same access to benefits (healthcare, dental, and vision coverage) that you would otherwise have as, say, an employee at Crate & Barrel. And, with a relatively low salary, any loans you take out to either pay for school or to start your business, will take time to pay off. But hey, at least you'll have pretty dishware for all those delicious (and cheap) rice and beans dinners you'll be eating with that tight budget.