Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators: salary, outlook & degrees
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
Middle half $37,560–$83,200. 11,220 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 2,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $98,540 |
| Nevada | $81,630 |
| New York | $78,870 |
| Washington | $72,430 |
| Connecticut | $71,210 |
| Maryland | $66,180 |
| Georgia | $65,010 |
| New Mexico | $63,090 |
| Minnesota | $61,730 |
| California | $58,240 |
| Utah | $57,270 |
| Arizona | $56,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,270 |
| Illinois | $53,850 |
| Wisconsin | $53,350 |
| Colorado | $51,910 |
| Florida | $50,360 |
| Missouri | $49,820 |
| Texas | $49,650 |
| Kentucky | $48,050 |
| Virginia | $47,930 |
| Oklahoma | $47,830 |
| Maine | $46,170 |
| Louisiana | $40,700 |
| Nebraska | $39,800 |
| Michigan | $38,650 |
| Arkansas | $32,340 |
| Ohio | $31,780 |
| Tennessee | $30,720 |
| Kansas | $25,830 |
Largest metro areas for this job
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA$126,470
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL$68,140
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX$55,490
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA$82,580
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA$65,010
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX$49,650
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford FL$49,280
- Cincinnati OH-KY-IN$34,560
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MI$42,060
- Cleveland OH$27,560
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas NV$57,470
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater FL$45,590
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Fine Arts
Work styles
- Innovation
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- Achievement Orientation
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Initiative
People in this job tend to have Artistic (creative), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators: questions
How much do fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators make?
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators earn a U.S. median $55,490 a year; the middle half earn $37,560 to $83,200 (BLS, May 2025).
Is fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators a growing field?
BLS projects a decline of 2.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrator?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 35% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required.
How much do fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $50,360 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $55,490 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-1013. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/fine-artists-including-painters-sculptors-and-illustrators.