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.

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

IndustryAverage 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
Annual mean wages.

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.

CityAverage Salary
New York, NY$156,320
Ithaca, NY$143,480
San Francisco, CA$139,400
San Jose, CA$139,390
Manchester, NH$138,850
Annual mean wages.

Look at the average art teacher salaries from top-paying states according to Bls.gov data.

StateAverage Salary
New York$144,860
California$127,860
Missouri$110,890
New Jersey$107,440
District of Columbia$106,050
Annual mean wages.

Related Careers

Patent Agent

Patent agents practice patent law before the USPTO.

Average of $130,168/year

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.

Average of $76,250/year

Job Openings in the United States


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