Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary: $156,295 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 10,000 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators nationally earn a mean of $156,295. Employment in the series shown fell about 32% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators: what the data shows
Common questions about fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-1013.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 10,000 workers.
What does a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Working with Computers, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $60,560 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $156,295 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $65,688 |
| 25th percentile | $89,313 |
| Median (50th) | $143,887 |
| 75th percentile | $171,785 |
| 90th percentile | $232,594 |
What education do you need?
For Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Design, Computers and Electronics, English Language, Production and Processing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 19.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 42.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 10,000.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustratorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 10,000 | 23.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 9,690 | 22.4% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 4,000 | 9.3% |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | 3,380 | 7.8% |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers | 2,460 | 5.7% |
| Educational Services | 960 | 2.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designers | 214,260 | $61,300 |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 3,320 | $50,280 |
| Floral Designers | 40,160 | $36,120 |
| Craft Artists | 4,370 | $38,480 |
| Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | 7,220 | $38,140 |
| Photographers | 51,230 | $42,520 |
| Artists and Related Workers, All Other | 7,370 | $72,760 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators workforce.
Employment Over Time
10,000 Workforce in 2023
The Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$156,295 Average Wage
In 2023, Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators earned an average of $156,295.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Salary distribution for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Employment Growth Projections
3.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
7,980 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 19.5%
9,535 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 42.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Wage Trends by Industry
39.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -9.2% growth (Current: $174,817)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,580 employees, $162,849 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,280 employees, $174,817 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 130 employees, $125,708 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 90 employees, $113,940 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 80 employees, $86,728 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in 2023 was 10,000 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in 2023 were Business Administration, Visual Arts, Fine Arts.
Common majors for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators workers.
Education level distribution for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Skills
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators need many skills, but most especially Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking.
Required skills for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators include Design, Computers and Electronics, English Language, Production and Processing, Fine Arts.
Knowledge areas required for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators include Originality, Fluency of Ideas, Visualization, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Visual Color Discrimination.
Required abilities for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
Daily Activities
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators spend their time on activities such as Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators.
About
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
The average yearly wage for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators was $156,295 in 2023.
SOC Code
27-1013 - Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators reports an average salary of $156,295, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 10,000 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.