Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
Also called: Artist · Automotive Artist · Blacksmith · Fine Artist · Ice Carver · Illustrator
Median pay (national)
$60,560
$26,420–$140,660 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
10,000
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-1.2%
~2,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $140,660 versus $26,420 at the bottom 10% — 5.3x. The median of $60,560 leaves roughly 132% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -1.2% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 2,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 38 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $140,080, +131% vs the national median), while Kansas sits lowest at $24,670 — a 468% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya as in-demand technologies for this role.
Tailor your resume to Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Model substances such as clay or wax, using fingers and small hand tools to form objects.
- Create sculptures, statues, and other three-dimensional artwork by using abrasives and tools to shape, carve, and fabricate materials such as clay, stone, wood, or metal.
Tools & technology
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk Maya
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe InDesign
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- C#
- C++
- Extensible markup language XML
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- Intuit QuickBooks
- JavaScript
- Python
- Trimble SketchUp Pro
Knowledge areas
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Fine Arts
- Education and Training
- Communications and Media
- Customer and Personal Service