Artist how much money does it make

Illustrators and cover artists also often work freelance, and charge a lump sum for each job. So half of all illustrators made less than that, and half earned more. Artists can teach at public schools and universities, art institutes, through websites such as Patreon, and by giving private art lessons in their homes, studios, or even online.

Location factors largely into what they can reasonably expect to be paid as well, since an artist living in a small town may not be able to charge as much as an artist living in a larger market.

Online courses level the playing field somewhat by making it possible for anyone with computer access anywhere in the world to take a class or course from any artist anywhere in the world. Artists who do the best have well-planned and executed courses that solve problems for other artists. Patreon has provided an especially lucrative platform for artists who use video as their method of teaching. She teaches a range of mediums from graphite to oil painting, and does realistic portrait work, surrealism, wildlife art, marine art, and still life work, so her work appeals to broad audience.

Employment comes with significant benefits such as job security, benefits, and being able to go home and leave the job at work. However, wages are determined more by what the employer can pay than by the work you do. Freelance and self-employed artists have the opportunity to earn as much as they can, and many do far better than their employed fellows. But self-employment comes with significant risks.

Opening your own art business is also a great way to control the kind of art you create and sell. Once you finish art school, you can officially consider yourself a trained artist.

An artist starting salary might be a bit lower than you are expecting as you begin your career. If you keep with the trade, you will soon find ways to increase your income.

These commissioned pieces can be anything that a client wants in the form of art, including:. If you are considering taking commissioned work, be sure you understand that this type of art is much different than creating a piece for yourself or to sell upon completion.

Usually, the commissioner will have a vision in mind for the piece. As someone they are paying to bring that vision to life, you have to take care to meet their expectations. Commissioned work can feel limiting and frustrating for some artists. However, if you are stepping out of your comfort zone, you might learn a new technique or medium that you enjoy. This article is written for 2D artists working in the entertainment industry - fantasy and science fiction art work made for films, games, comic books etc.

If you aren't targeting this niche, I'm sorry, I dont have the data, but this whole site is geared toward fantasy and sci-fi artists, since that's my expertise. The truth is, as a freelance artist your income will go up and down over time. What you earn one day will be different the next; one week, one month, one year, different to the next. It fluctuates a lot, and you will not be able to entirely depend on it being stable.

Your income will also probably trend upwards over time, though it may take a lot of personal effort on your part to make it happen. These are just guide figures, and meant as an indication of the kinds of rates you can expect. There are so many other things a freelancer has to take care of, both with your time and your money.

Obviously this is just a basic estimation, and it's still a nice amount of money, but it's much more realistic. The quality of your art work is a large factor in what kinds of work you'll have access to. No one is going to hand you that work, you have to earn it. Art directors want to hire artists who can do the job , they don't want to train you to be ready for the job. They have a specific budget and a specific deadline - they just cannot afford to take risks on their artists, and risk blowing part of the budget or missing a deadline.

If you want a particular level of work, get good enough to do equal to or better, and then get consistent at it. Once an art director is confident you can do the art they need consistently, they won't feel like it's a risk to hire you. Another factor is speed - how fast you can produce art. Your work ethic also affects income.

If you struggle to paint client work regularly, your pay cheque will reflect that. Working on your productivity will pay dividends down the line. Similar Jobs to Artist. See Additional Similar Jobs. Loading results Level of Education for Artist. Browse by Education Level. Artist Salary by Global Country. United States China. Artist Salary by State. Step 1 of 3.

Understand the total compensation opportunity for an Artist, base salary plus other pay elements. Average Base Salary Core compensation. Average Total Cash Compensation Includes base and annual incentives. These charts show the average base salary core compensation , as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Artist in the United States.

Similar Job Titles:. See additional Similar Jobs. Step 2 of 3. Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors. How much should you be paid? For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

I have 0 years 1 years 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years 11 years 12 years 13 years 14 years 15 years 16 years 17 years 18 years. Step 3 of 3. Generate Your Salary Report. City, State Washington, DC. City, State Miami, FL. Compared to national average City, State Chicago, IL. City, State Boston, MA.