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Art Teacher Salary & Career Insights
What is the average salary for an art teacher in the United States?
$80,360 per year
According to BLS.gov, the average salary for an art teacher in the United States is $80,360 annually. The lowest salary is $47,570 annually, and the highest is $178,670 annually.
Our salary data comes from BLS.gov. Salary data above is the median annual wage.
Job Outlook & Work Environment
Job Outlook
🚀 1,397,600; estimated number of art teaching jobs. It is estimated that 111,400 new jobs will be added by 2033.
☀️ The projected job outlook is expected to grow at a rate of 8% which is faster than the growth of the average career.
Work Environment
💼 Most art teachers work in school settings.
🏢 41% of art teachers work in colleges, universities, and professional schools funded by the state, while 39% work privately.
Art Teacher Salary in Comparison to Patent Law Salaries
How Does an Art Teacher Salary Stack Up?
The average art teacher earns $80K annually. While we don’t have an average salary for design patent practitioners yet since this is a new class of practitioner, patent agents typically earn $130K annually. This is over $50K more than the average art teacher.
Patent attorneys typically earn $185K annually, which is more than double what the typical art teacher earns. It will likely pay for an art teacher to sit for the patent bar exam and start a patent law career.
Top Art Teacher Salaries by Industry
Industry | Average Salary |
---|---|
Business Schools and Computer and Management Training | $144,980 |
Educational Support Services | $132,090 |
Grantmaking and Giving Services | $115,970 |
Performing Arts Companies | $102,790 |
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $101,460 |
Salary by Art Teacher Industry
In the U.S., the average art teacher salary is $80,360.
Art teachers in business schools and computer and management training earn the highest average salary, at $144,980. Those working in educational support services receive an average salary of $132,090, while those in grantmaking and giving services earn $115,970.
In the performing arts companies and colleges, universities, and professional schools industries, art teachers earn average salaries of $102,790 and $101,460, respectively.
Experience & Education
Here are some typical daily activities of an art teacher:
- Thinking Creatively: Innovate by developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Share information with supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates through phone, writing, email, or in person.
- Training and Teaching Others: Determine educational needs, create training programs or classes, and instruct others.
- Coaching and Developing Others: Recognize developmental needs and provide coaching, mentoring, or assistance to enhance others’ knowledge or skills.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Build and sustain positive and cooperative working relationships with others over time.
Here are the typical skills you need to work as an art teacher:
- Speaking: Communicate effectively with others.
- Instructing: Teach others how to perform tasks.
- Learning Strategies: Choose and apply suitable training methods for learning or teaching new skills.
- Active Learning: Grasp how new information affects current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening: Focus completely on others, understand their points, ask relevant questions, and avoid interruptions.
Knowledge required to work as an art teacher:
- Fine Arts: Understand the theory and techniques for creating and performing music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
- Education and Training: Know the principles and methods for designing curricula, teaching individuals and groups, and evaluating training outcomes.
- English Language: Familiarity with the structure and content of English, including word meanings, spelling, composition rules, and grammar.
- Communications and Media: Understand media production, communication, and dissemination methods, including ways to inform and entertain through various media.
- History and Archaeology: Knowledge of historical events, their causes, indicators, and impacts on civilizations and cultures.
Average Education
According to onetonline.org, 51% of art teachers have a Master’s degree, 32% have a Doctoral degree, and 14% have a Bachelor’s degree.
Top Art Teacher Salaries by Location
Factors that Impact Pay
Art teachers in New York, NY, earn the highest average salary among the cities listed, at $156,320. In Ithaca, NY, art teachers receive an average salary of $143,480, followed by those in San Francisco, CA, with $139,400. San Jose, CA, and Manchester, NH, offer average salaries of $139,390 and $138,850, respectively, for art teachers.
Art teachers in New York earn the highest average salary among the states listed, at $144,860. In California, art teachers receive an average salary of $127,860, while those in Missouri earn $110,890. New Jersey and the District of Columbia offer average salaries of $107,440 and $106,050, respectively.
Take a look at the average art teacher salaries from top-paying cities according to Bls.gov data.
City | Average Salary |
---|---|
New York, NY | $156,320 |
Ithaca, NY | $143,480 |
San Francisco, CA | $139,400 |
San Jose, CA | $139,390 |
Manchester, NH | $138,850 |
Look at the average art teacher salaries from top-paying states according to Bls.gov data.
State | Average Salary |
---|---|
New York | $144,860 |
California | $127,860 |
Missouri | $110,890 |
New Jersey | $107,440 |
District of Columbia | $106,050 |
Related Careers
Patent Agent
Patent agents practice patent law before the USPTO.
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Patent Attorney
Patent attorneys can practice patent law in addition to practicing law in jurisdictions where they are currently admitted.
Average of $185,351/year
Industrial Designer
Design and develop manufactured products by creating functional and appealing designs.
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