Careers / Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$55,490
United States, 2025
Employment
11,220
United States, 2025
Typical education
Some College Courses
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
- O*NET code
- 27-1013.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Use materials such as pens and ink, watercolors, charcoal, oil, or computer software to create artwork.
- 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.
- Confer with clients, editors, writers, art directors, and other interested parties regarding the nature and content of artwork to be produced.
- Maintain portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests, and abilities.
- Market artwork through brochures, mailings, or Web sites.
- Study different techniques to learn how to apply them to artistic endeavors.
- 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.
- Photograph objects, places, or scenes for reference material.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$31,630
25th percentile
$37,560
75th percentile
$83,200
90th percentile
$144,210
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Active Listening3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Writing2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Monitoring2.8
- Operations Analysis2.6
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 6 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
6
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Learning | 3.3 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and IllustratorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $126,470 | 450 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $98,540 | — | 2025 |
| OR | $98,540 | — | 2025 |
| Naples, FL | $83,670 | 30 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $82,580 | 250 | 2025 |
| NV | $81,630 | 160 | 2025 |
| Albany, NY | $80,070 | 40 | 2025 |
| NY | $78,870 | 1,400 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $78,290 | — | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $77,100 | 50 | 2025 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $72,610 | — | 2025 |
| WA | $72,430 | 350 | 2025 |
| Shreveport, LA | $72,400 | 60 | 2025 |
| CT | $71,210 | 100 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $70,570 | 40 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $68,970 | 40 | 2025 |
| Miami, FL | $68,140 | 330 | 2025 |
| MD | $66,180 | 80 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $65,520 | — | 2025 |
| GA | $65,010 | 350 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.