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Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Salary in Ohio

SOC 27-1013 · Ohio · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$31,782
$15.28/hr
42.7% lower than the US national median ($55,494)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Fine Artists salary in Ohio in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$23K
P25$24K
P50$32K
P75$44K
P90$64K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $31,782 to $43,763 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Fine Artists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role fell 8.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 4.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Ohio is $31,782 per year ($15.28/hr). This is 42.7% lower than the national median of $55,494.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.

Wage Percentiles: Ohio

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$10.99$22,859-27.7%
P25$11.63$24,190-35.6%
P50MEDIAN$15.28$31,782-42.7%
P75$21.04$43,763-47.4%
P90Top earners$30.65$63,752-55.8%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Fine Artists
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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 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
NAICS 711500
3K$49,650
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
840$154,570
Wage range across top 5 industries: $49,650 to $154,570 (211% spread)
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators salary in Ohio?

The median (P50) annual salary for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators in Ohio is approximately $31,782, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 42.7% lower than the national median of $55,494. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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