Also after a degree
Stone sculpture
Its own, highest pay grade in the stonemasons’ collective agreement: at least around €3,870 gross a month. It also applies after a degree with 3 years of practice as a stone sculptor115.
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Crafts · As of 5 Oct 2026
Craft as a career: creating with stone, wood and colour, and living from it
Working with stone, wood, metal and paint is in demand: stonemasons are scarce in Germany and the UK90,91, Austria is looking for joiners, and Upper Austria also for sign painters89. Stone sculpture pays best, with at least around €3,870 gross a month, also after a suitable degree115. Conservation is a small field, but well paid with a degree116,117.
In demand in 3 countriesApprenticeship or degreeAs of 5 Oct 2026
Free, no sign-up, every figure linked to its source. All amounts gross. Minimum wages are floors; actual pay is often higher.
01 · In short
What to expect in the crafts: 4 findings
In demand, more modestly paid
Lettering and wood
Joinery is on Austria’s shortage list for 2026, sign painting in Upper Austria89. The minimum is around €2,580 to €3,010 a month118,119; current joinery adverts offer up to €3,200120.
Rare, well paid with a degree
Conservation
5 years of study at one of 2 universities in Vienna116. In Germany, employed conservators with a degree earn a median of €5,921 gross a month117. Open positions are rare121.
Self-employed
Fees per project
For new commissioned artistic work, IG Bildende Kunst recommends €51 to €97 an hour in 2026, materials extra122. Percent-for-art projects in Upper Austria had a median of around €17,100 each123.
02 · Comparison
Where your skill is needed: 6 crafts compared
“In demand” means the occupation is on an official shortage list. “Mixed” means there is demand, but no clear evidence of good prospects. Pay is shown per month, gross: for Austria the minimum wage under the collective agreement, plus 2 special payments a year115,124; for Germany the median actual full-time pay, with special payments already included125.
| Occupation | Outlook | Demand | Austria: minimum a month | Germany: median a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonemasonry, stone sculpture | in demand | Stonemasons: shortage occupation in Germany90, on the UK list for work visas91 | around €3,330 (stonemason) to €3,870 (stone sculpture)115 | stonemasons €3,428126, stone sculpture €2,847127 |
| Sign painting and lettering | in demand | Shortage occupation in Upper Austria89, shortage occupation in Germany90 | around €2,580 to €2,840118,128 | €3,078129 |
| Joinery, furniture making | in demand | Shortage occupation throughout Austria89, on the UK list91 | around €2,630 to €3,010119,124, adverts €2,766 to €3,200120 | €3,355130 |
| 3D capture of cultural heritage | EU target open | EU target for 2030, far off track according to the Commission131,132 | no collective agreement of its own | no separate figure |
| Goldsmithing | mixed | Germany: under observation90, USA: −3% until 2035133 | €2,949 to €3,809134,135 | €3,063136 |
| Conservation | mixed | USA: +4% until 2035137, Japan: lack of young talent138 | no collective agreement; earlier adverts €3,820 to €4,120121 | with a degree €5,921117 |
What skilled workers in Germany earn, median per month
Median actual full-time pay, gross, as of 31 December 2024117,126,130,129,136,127. For comparison: all full-time employees in Germany €4,013125.
Conservation
€5,921
Stonemason
€3,428
Joinery
€3,355
Signs
€3,078
Goldsmithing
€3,063
Sculpture
€2,847
Conservation: with a university degree; the statistics also count employed visual artists. Stone sculpture: too few employees for a figure of its own, hence the combined group of art crafts.
Minimum wages in Austria, per month and per hour
| Occupation and pay grade | Hours a week | per hour | per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone sculptors, modellers | 39 | €22.94 | around €3,874 |
| Stonemason with apprenticeship | 39 | €19.70 | around €3,327 |
| Sign making, after the 3rd year | 39 | €16.81 | around €2,839 |
| Sign making, from the 1st year | 39 | €15.30 | around €2,584 |
| Joinery, highest grade | 40 | €17.39 | around €3,012 |
| Joinery with apprenticeship | 40 | €15.17 | around €2,627 |
| Goldsmithing, skilled to top skilled worker | 38.5 | – | €2,948.85 to €3,808.83 |
Month = hourly wage × weekly hours × 4.33 weeks, the same way the collective agreements calculate the holiday bonus. 2 special payments a year come on top115,118,128,119,124,135.
03 · Pay
What you live on in the crafts: 4 ways of being paid
As an employee you receive a fixed wage, plus supplements and, for stonemasons for example, 2 special payments a year115. Self-employed, you bill per commission: your hourly rate then also has to cover social insurance, taxes and the workshop.
Employed
Piece rate: pay per piece
On piece rate you should earn at least 20% more than your hourly wage at average output. Nobody has to work on piece rate, and the hourly wage remains guaranteed. Overtime pays a 50% supplement115.
Employed
Holiday and Christmas bonus
The stonemasons’ collective agreement provides a holiday bonus of 4.33 weekly wages and a Christmas bonus of 8.6% of annual earnings115. As a stone sculptor, this adds up to at least around €54,400 gross a year, without piece rate and overtime (our calculation).
Self-employed
Fees per commission
For conceiving and executing new works, such as art in public space, IG Bildende Kunst recommends €51 to €97 an hour excluding VAT in 2026. That only covers your working time; materials and studio come on top122. The German conservators’ association recommends €65 to €112 an hour net for conservation work, materials and travel extra139.
Commissions and competitions
Percent for art
Upper Austria must set aside at least 1.5% of construction costs for art in provincial buildings and buildings mainly funded by the province. From 2020 to 2024 that came to €4.64 million for 143 buildings123. Carinthia provides for at least 1%140. In 2024, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and BUWOG ran a competition for graduates of the last 5 years, with €5,000 in prize money141.
| Value | Budget for the artwork |
|---|---|
| Median project | around €17,100 |
| Middle half of projects | around €9,300 to €30,700 |
| Projects from €50,000 | 16 of 143 |
Our analysis of the project list in the province’s report123. The budget covers fee, materials and production, so it is not the artist’s earnings. According to the agreement, the holiday bonus applies to companies that do not settle via the construction workers’ holiday fund115.
04 · Stone sculpture
Stone sculpture: figures in stone, a path also after a degree
Those who shape figures in stone are at the top of the stonemasons’ collective agreement: at least around €3,870 gross a month, that is €22.94 an hour at 39 hours a week. With holiday and Christmas bonuses, that is at least around €54,400 gross a year (our calculation)115. The pay grade applies after an apprenticeship, additional training and 3 years of practice, or after a suitable degree with 3 years of practice as a stone sculptor115.
Demand in Germany
Positions stay open for long
The German Federal Employment Agency gives stonemason occupations 2.0 out of 3 points; from 2.0, an occupation counts as a shortage occupation. Positions stay open for a median of 131.5 days90. Stonemasons there earn a median of €3,428 gross a month126.
Demand in the UK
Easier visa
Stonemasons are on the UK list for work visas for all positions. For these, 80% of the usual minimum salary is enough, for stonemasons £33,400 a year91.
Fits with
Sculptural design
CHS Villach offers sculptural design as a focus60. Your own sculptures need no trade licence if you have artistic training; craft work generally does86.
05 · 3D capture
3D capture of cultural heritage: where craft and digital arts meet
By 2030, EU member states are to capture all endangered monuments and sites and half of the most visited ones in 3D. For Austria, the EU sets a reference value of 401,157 3D objects by 2030131. In 2025 the Commission found that the targets for 2025 and 2030 will be missed by far, and named digital skills as a weakness132.
06 · Lettering, wood, gold
Lettering, wood and gold: crafts in demand, more modestly paid
Sign painting and lettering
In demand in Upper Austria
Shortage occupation in Upper Austria in 202689; in Germany a shortage occupation, with positions open for a median of 128 days90. Minimum wage around €2,580, after the 3rd year around €2,840 a month118,128. In Germany the median is €3,078129. The same agreement applies to gilders128.
Joinery and furniture making
In demand throughout Austria
“Bau- und Möbeltischler/innen” (building and furniture joiners) are a nationwide shortage occupation in 202689, and joiners are also on the UK list91. Minimum wage with an apprenticeship around €2,630, in the highest grade around €3,010 a month119,124. Current adverts offer €2,766 to €3,200120; in Germany the median is €3,355130.
Goldsmithing
Sought after, but not yet a shortage
In Germany 1.8 out of 3 points, so under observation, with positions open for a median of 128.5 days90. In Austria the collective agreement of the metal trades applies: €2,948.85 to €3,808.83 a month134,135; in Germany the median is €3,063136. In the USA, jobs will fall by 3% until 2035133.
Not included: make-up artistry is on the shortage list in 5 provinces, but only together with hairdressers. Whether make-up artists themselves are scarce, the list does not show89. Stage and costume design is not a shortage occupation in Germany90.
07 · Conservation
Conservation: preserving works of art, a small and special field
In Austria you study conservation at the University of Applied Arts or the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, for at least 5 years, graduating with a Magister degree116. On pay, we found the following:
- Germany: employees with a degree earn a median of €5,921 gross a month; the middle half earns €4,312 to €7,254 (full-time). The statistics also count employed visual artists117. For comparison: all full-time employees €4,013125.
- Austria: on 5 October 2026 there was no open position on karriere.at. Earlier adverts: Province of Upper Austria €3,820 to €4,120 a month (2024), head of conservation at mumok Vienna from €4,000 (2026)121.
- USA: 14,000 jobs in museum technology and conservation, around 500 more by 2035, median pay $51,440 a year137.
- Japan: around 70% of the holders of state-selected conservation techniques are 60 or older, and 61.5% of municipalities name a lack of staff as their most pressing problem138.
- Self-employed: cleaning and conserving count as a trade; completing and restoring with artistic skill counts as art86.
08 · Way in
Your way into the crafts: 4 options
Apprenticeship, 1 year shorter
With the Matura (Austrian school-leaving exam) you can learn a 3- to 4-year apprenticeship trade in a form shortened by 1 year142.
Into stone after a degree
With a suitable degree and 3 years of practice as a stone sculptor you reach the highest pay grade115.
Study conservation
Entrance exam at one of the 2 Vienna universities. You choose your specialisation before applying116.
Self-employed with art
Your own works need no trade licence if you have artistic training. Art joinery counts as a joinery trade86. More on the page Freelance.
09 · Abroad
Abroad: in demand in Germany and the UK
| Country | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| Germany | Shortage occupations: stonemasonry and sign making. Under observation: jewellery, and wood, furniture and interior fitting90. Stonemasons earn a median of €3,428126 and joiners €3,355 gross a month130. As an Austrian you can work there without a visa. |
| United Kingdom | Stonemasons, joiners, visual artists and graphic designers are on the list for which a work visa is possible from 80% of the usual minimum salary91. Stonemasons earn a median of £33,938 and joiners £34,014 gross a year, full-time143. |
| USA | Jobs falling until 2035: stonemasons −5%, goldsmiths −3%, woodworkers −2%. Museum technology and conservation +4%144,133,145,137. |
| Japan | Young conservators are lacking; the cultural agency’s budget rose from 44.7 to 106.2 billion yen (2023 to 2024)138. We found no evidence on whether foreign professionals find work there. |
| Italy | Despite €4.2 billion from the recovery fund for cultural heritage, employment remains “fragile”, i.e. insecure, according to the business portal QuiFinanza146. |
Median US pay 2025: stonemasons $57,390, goldsmiths $52,540, woodworkers $45,310, museum technology and conservation $51,440144,133,145,137.
10 · Questions
5 questions about craft as a career
Do conservators earn a lot?
With a degree and a permanent position, fairly well. In Germany, employed conservators with a university degree earn a median of €5,921 gross a month117, clearly more than all full-time employees at €4,013125. In Austria, earlier positions with the Province of Upper Austria paid €3,820 to €4,120 a month, but open positions are rare121. The degree takes at least 5 years116.
Which craft pays best in Austria?
Stone sculpture: at least around €3,870 gross a month under the stonemasons’ collective agreement, also reachable after a suitable degree with 3 years of practice115.
Are craftspeople paid per project?
Employees are mostly paid by the hour, on piece rate per piece: then they should earn at least 20% more than the hourly wage115. The self-employed bill per project, usually with an hourly rate: €51 to €97 for new artistic work, materials extra122. One advert for self-employed fitting joiners offered €43 an hour120. For percent-for-art projects in Upper Austria, the median budget was around €17,100123.
Can I do a shortened apprenticeship with the Matura?
Yes. With the Matura you can learn a 3-, 3.5- or 4-year apprenticeship trade in a form shortened by 1 year142.