Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Pay Across the Range
May 2024 national BLS data. Figures are national medians and percentiles from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2024); your local market, employer and experience will differ. Wage data ages — this reflects the May 2024 release, verified June 2026. Informational only, not career, salary-negotiation or financial advice.
Pay for Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators spreads across a wide band. As of the May 2024 BLS data, the lowest-paid tenth of the field earn around $26,420 a year, the middle (median) sits at $60,560, and the highest-paid tenth reach about $140,660. The 25th-to-75th percentile range captures the typical middle of the field.
Treat this as a wage DISTRIBUTION, not a years-of-experience ladder: BLS reports where pay falls across everyone in the occupation, and the lower end tends to reflect newer or lower-paying roles and regions while the upper end reflects more senior or higher-paying ones — but it is a proxy, not a literal step-by-experience table. National figures; your market differs. Informational, not salary advice.
| Pay percentile | Annual wage (May 2024) |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry) | $26,420 |
| 25th percentile | $39,740 |
| Median (50th) | $60,560 |
| 75th percentile | $89,630 |
| 90th percentile (top) | $140,660 |
A distribution, not a ladder. BLS OES reports the wage distribution, not pay by years of experience. The percentile band is a proxy for experience and seniority, not a literal years-of-experience table.
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