Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 27-1013 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$60,570
$29.12/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators is $60,570 per year ($29.12/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $39,749 and $89,627 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $140,650 per year. There are approximately 10,000 fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-1.2%
Slower than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
27K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
NAICS 711500
2K
$51,450
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
1K
N/A
Software Publishers
NAICS 513200
710
$83,270
Other Miscellaneous Retailers
NAICS 459900
540
$43,250
Specialized Design Services
NAICS 541400
470
$58,960
Wage range across top 5 industries: $43,250 to $83,270 (93% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$12.70
$26,416
P25
$19.11
$39,749
P50MEDIAN
$29.12
$60,570
P75
$43.09
$89,627
P90
$67.62
$140,650
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary?
The national median salary for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators is $60,570 per year ($29.12/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $39,749 and $89,627 annually.
How much do top-earning fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators is $140,650 per year ($67.62/hr). The 75th percentile is $89,627 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators?
Entry-level Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (10th percentile) earn approximately $26,416 per year ($12.70/hr). The 25th percentile is $39,749 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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