Also called: Butter Cow Sculptor, Food Sculptor
Carves life-size cows, famous people and scenes out of hundreds of pounds of butter for state fairs and dairy groups.
Inside a cooler kept near 40°F, the sculptor packs butter over a wood and wire frame, then shapes it with knives, wire loops and their hands. A famous piece like the Iowa State Fair butter cow uses about 600 pounds. Between fairs, many also carve ice, chocolate or sand for events.
Paid per project; most combine butter, ice and other food sculpting.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Art skills learned by doing; many apprentice under an experienced sculptor.
Ways in: Self-taught, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Fine Arts, Sculpture.
Growing slowly. Only a handful of state fairs and dairy promotions hire.
Low risk for 10 years. No machine sculpts butter in a cooler; this stays handmade art.
Classes: Art (sculpture), Ceramics, Culinary arts.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.