Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators: Career Overview
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
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What Do Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Do?
Typical responsibilities of fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators cover:
- Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
- Integrate and develop visual elements, such as line, space, mass, color, and perspective, to produce desired effects, such as the illustration of ideas, emotions, or moods.
- Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
- Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
- Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
- Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
- Monitor events, trends, and other circumstances, research specific subject areas, attend art exhibitions, and read art publications to develop ideas and keep current on art world activities.
- Photograph objects, places, or scenes for reference material.
What Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Need to Know
Effective fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 3D Artist (Three Dimensional Artist)
- 3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist)
- Animated Cartoons Painter
- Artist
- Artist in Residence (AIR)
- Automotive Artist
- Balloon Artist
- Blacksmith
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 153,818 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -4.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $69,338 |
| Hourly median | $33.34 |
| 10th percentile | $49,478 |
| 25th percentile | $59,408 |
| 75th percentile | $79,268 |
| 90th percentile | $89,198 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $140,080 |
| Massachusetts | $83,530 |
| Indiana | $79,280 |
| New York | $78,690 |
| Washington | $78,370 |
| Colorado | $74,010 |
| South Carolina | $72,990 |
| Connecticut | $72,860 |
| Maryland | $72,750 |
| Minnesota | $63,730 |
| Oregon | $63,380 |
| Arizona | $63,380 |
| New Jersey | $62,680 |
| Georgia | $61,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,370 |
| Virginia | $58,960 |
| Wisconsin | $57,770 |
| Illinois | $53,820 |
| Nevada | $53,200 |
| Alabama | $52,270 |
| Missouri | $52,000 |
| Florida | $48,490 |
| Tennessee | $47,580 |
| Oklahoma | $45,190 |
| North Carolina | $44,920 |
| Maine | $44,700 |
| Idaho | $43,850 |
| Utah | $43,680 |
| New Mexico | $43,250 |
| Nebraska | $42,730 |
| Iowa | $38,930 |
| Kentucky | $38,500 |
| Michigan | $35,080 |
| New Hampshire | $34,600 |
| Texas | $34,600 |
| Louisiana | $32,390 |
| Ohio | $31,200 |
| Kansas | $24,670 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $117,903 | 29.1% | 2.17 |
| Middle Atlantic | $75,568 | 12.8% | 1.32 |
| New England | $58,972 | 3.0% | 1.68 |
| Rocky Mountains | $58,863 | 3.9% | 1.06 |
| Plains States | $50,182 | 3.2% | 0.74 |
| Southeast | $49,952 | 21.5% | 1.09 |
| Great Lakes | $38,520 | 10.8% | 1.52 |
| Southwest | $37,398 | 15.0% | 1.24 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $140,660 | 1,360 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $84,950 | 230 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $83,270 | 650 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | SC | $83,260 | 50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $80,760 | 710 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $78,170 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | CT | $75,160 | 30 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $69,680 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 4,000 | $54,430 |
| Information | 1,960 | n/a |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 920 | $60,490 |
| Educational Services | 490 | $47,030 |
| Manufacturing | 410 | $53,830 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 260 | $33,040 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 170 | $68,620 |
| Wholesale Trade | 110 | $58,160 |
Below are examples of industries where fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators work:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C# (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Getting Started in This Career
Most fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators positions require a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Video Game Designers (Supplemental)
- Art Directors (Primary-Short)
- Craft Artists (Primary-Short)
- Special Effects Artists and Animators (Primary-Short)
- Commercial and Industrial Designers (Primary-Long)
- Fashion Designers (Primary-Long)
- Graphic Designers (Primary-Short)
- Interior Designers (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators often complete programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
11 programs across 3 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-1013.00 (Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators).
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