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Role hub · Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators

Fine Artist: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of fine artists earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$55,490
Hourly
$26.68
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Fine Artists create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques. The median pay is $55,490 a year ($26.68 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).

Median pay
$55,490
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
11,220
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 3 of 5
medium preparation

Data Government data groups this job as Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (O*NET-SOC 27-1013.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Fine Artists at a glance

  • Workers in the BLS occupation “Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators” in the United States earned a median annual wage of $55,490 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for workers in the BLS occupation “Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators” in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of workers in the BLS occupation “Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators” in the United States to decline 2.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 11,220 people were employed in the BLS occupation “Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators” in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Fine Artists

SalaryFine Artist salary

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The work

What fine artists do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
  2. 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.
  3. Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
  4. Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
  5. Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
  6. Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
  7. 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.
  8. Photograph objects, places, or scenes for reference material.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all fine artist jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries11.6% of all jobs in this occupation · -2.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $64,990
  2. Educational services; state, local, and private3.3% of all jobs in this occupation · -3.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $54,240
  3. Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers3.0% of all jobs in this occupation · -5.3% projected change here 2025–35
  4. Professional, scientific, and technical services2.7% of all jobs in this occupation · -0.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $69,250
  5. Motion picture and sound recording industries2.6% of all jobs in this occupation · -0.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $176,370
  6. Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods1.3% of all jobs in this occupation · -6.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $42,810

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Critical ThinkingcoreActive LearningcoreActive ListeningcoreJudgment and Decision MakingReading ComprehensionSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessComplex Problem SolvingTime Management

Knowledge areas: Design, Computers and Electronics, English Language, Production and Processing, Fine Arts, Education and Training.

Tools and technology

Software fine artists use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe PhotoshopGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Autodesk MayaGraphics or photo imaging softwareIn demand
  • Adobe After EffectsVideo creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareHot technology
  • Autodesk AutoCADComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Extensible markup language XMLEnterprise application integration softwareHot technology
  • FacebookWeb page creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • Trimble SketchUp ProComputer aided design CAD softwareHot technology
  • Adobe DreamweaverWeb page creation and editing software
  • Adobe FrameMakerDesktop publishing software

Also called: Artist, Automotive Artist, Blacksmith, Ice Carver, Illustrator.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.