Noun for "person with intermediate skill"
I'm looking for the noun form of "person with intermediate skill". For example, in the context of a particular activity, "person with no skill" might be designated a novice, and "person with much skill" might be designated an expert. However I know of no such word in between these two extremes.
My only thought is amateur, which has a distinct meaning from describing level of skill, although skill level can often be inferred. I'm looking for a better solution.
EDIT: due to the attention this question has received, I'll try to offer some clarification in order to reduce repeat questions.
"Journeyman" would certainly not work. I am a software developer by profession. However the word I'm looking for should hopefully be profession-agnostic.
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I am trying to designate the skill level of the person that some learning material might be appropriate for. The word that I'm looking for follows the preposition "for".
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For Beginners For [word for intermediate-skilled person]For Experts
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Sorry, but even after all the great answers, I'm still learning towards "amateur" even though it is technically incorrect. Also, the word should not be so esoteric that only people with English degrees know what it means. Keep the ideas coming!
In some professional organizations, the word "Journeyman" is used for someone who has passed their apprenticeship and able to complete work on their own, but are not necessarily masters yet.
EDIT: If you are seeking a skill level reference for learning material. This seems to be a standard:
For Beginner [programmers, developers, carpenters, chefs]
For Intermediate [programmers, developers, carpenters, chefs]
For Advanced [programmers, developers, carpenters, chefs]
You are asking for a word to replace "intermediate", but the more I think about it "intermediate" may actually be the word you need.
There isn't a word that's as widely recognized as novice or expert that I know, but I would suggest adept.
It's far more commonly used as an adjective, but the noun form does exist.
This can apply to professional or non-professional skills. It indicates some level of mastery without necessarily being expert (but the meaning seems closer to expert than novice). I would rank them in this order:
- novice
- amateur
- adept
- expert
This seems to fit with the various ranks of "Adept" that are used by different religious and occult orders.
From Latin, "past participle of adipisci to attain, from ad apisci to reach" (related to apt).
Your question reminds me of the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition which describes five stages in increasing (any particular) skill:
- Novice
- Advanced beginner
- Competent
- Proficient
- Expert
Borrowing from that, use of "competent" or "proficient" might be one option. Problem is, "competent" isn't a noun and "proficient", according to NOAD, is only rarely used as such (as in the example he became a proficient in Latin and Greek).
"Journeyman" means "someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master." "Apprentice" also may be relevant, but I think can include very tyros as well as persons of some experience. (While sense 1 of tyro may apply (1. a learner or beginner; 2. a freshman or greenhorn) sense 2 does not.)
I've occasionally seen "sophomore" denoting an intermediate level. An example from wiktionary: "The band’s sophomore album built upon the success of their debut release". However, its adjectival form "sophomoric", "conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature", may be the opposite of what you're after.