Fan Maker
Impact: Preserving and creating objects of extraordinary delicacy that represent the pinnacle of decorative craft
Design and create decorative fans in paper, silk, lace, and feathers for fashion, theatrical costume, and collectors, using traditional fan-making techniques including stick carving, leaf painting, and assembly. Restore antique fans for museums and private collectors; undertake commissions for fashion designers, theatre companies, and auction houses; and teach fan-making workshops. Develop proficiency in historical fan styles from the 17th to 20th centuries.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Minimal
- Team vs solo
- 15% Team / 85% Solo
- Client facing
- Sometimes
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Minimal
- Schedule flexibility
- Flexible
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 35-48 hours/week
- Stress level
- Low
At a glance
- Median salary
- $36,000
- Entry-level
- $18,000 - $28,000
- Senior
- $58,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 3% (museum conservation and collector market sustaining demand)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- High
- Salary growth potential
- High -- 100-220% growth from studio assistant to master fan maker with museum and auction house clients
- Typical student debt
- $2,000 - $8,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Stick carving and piercing (ivory
- bone
- wood
- mother of pearl)
- Leaf painting (gouache and watercolour)
- Silk and paper leaf making
- Lace fan construction
- Feather fan assembly
- Antique fan restoration
Soft skills
- Artistic vision
- Manual dexterity
- Historical knowledge
- Patience
- Attention to detail
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Certificate or Vocational Training
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 4-7 years
- Years to senior
- 8-15 years
- Career switching
- Very Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Embroiderer
- Bookbinder
Where you can go from here
- Decorative Arts Conservator
- Museum Accessory Specialist
Typical progression
- Studio Assistant
- Fan Maker
- Senior Fan Maker
- Master Fan Maker / Museum Conservator
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 3% -- fan making is a highly specialised manual craft with no automation applicable
- AI disruption risk
- Very Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 8.8/10
- Meaning
- 9.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 8/10
- Prestige
- 7/10
- Social perception
- High