Fine Artist Salary & Career Insights

What is the average salary for a fine artist in the United States?

$59,300 per year

According to BLS.gov, the average salary for a fine artist in the United States is $59,300 annually. The lowest salary is $28,390 annually, and the highest is $135,420 annually.

Job Outlook & Work Environment

Job Outlook

🚀 54,000; estimated number of fine art jobs. It is estimated that 1,800 new jobs will be added by 2033.

☀️ The projected job outlook is expected to grow at a rate of 3% which is as fast as average.

Work Environment

💼 Most fine artists work in art studios.

🏢 55% of fine artists are self-employed, while 8% are classified as independent artists, writers, and performers.

Fine Artist Salary in Comparison to Patent Law Salaries

How Does a Fine Artist Salary Stack Up?

The average fine artist salary is $59K annually. While we don’t have an average salary for design patent practitioners yet since this is a new class of practitioners, patent agents typically earn $130K annually. This is more than double what the average fine artist earns. Patent attorneys typically earn $185K annually, nearly triple what the typical fine artist earns. It will pay for an individual with a fine artist degree to sit for the patent bar exam and start a patent law career.

Top Fine Artist Salaries by Industry

IndustryAverage Salary
Employment Services$95,580
Motion Picture and Video Industries$90,140
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers$88,880
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$83,430
Federal, State, and Local Government$83,080
Annual mean wages.

Salary by Fine Artist Industry

In the U.S., the average fine artist salary is $59,300.

Fine artists in the employment services industry earn the highest average salary at $95,580. Those in the motion picture and video industries receive an average salary of $90,140, while those in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishing earn $88,880.

Fine artists earn average salaries of $83,430 and $83,080 in aerospace product and parts manufacturing and government roles, respectively.

Experience & Education

Here are some typical daily activities of a fine artist:

  • Thinking Creatively: Innovate by developing and designing new applications, ideas, systems, or products, including artistic work.
  • Getting Information: Gather and obtain information from all relevant sources through observation and reception.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Set specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and complete tasks.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Build and sustain positive and cooperative working relationships over time.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyze information and assess results to select the best solution and resolve issues.

Here are the typical skills you need to work as a fine artist:

  • Active Learning: Recognize how new information impacts current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Critical Thinking: Apply logic and reasoning to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions or approaches.
  • Active Listening: Focus completely on others, grasp their points, ask relevant questions, and avoid interruptions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making: Weigh the costs and benefits of actions to make the best choice.
  • Reading Comprehension: Understand sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Knowledge required to work as a fine artist:

  • Design: Understand design techniques and principles for creating precise technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Computers and Electronics: Familiarity with circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including programming.
  • English Language: Know the structure and content of English, including word meanings, spelling, composition rules, and grammar.
  • Production and Processing: Understand raw materials, production processes, quality control, and cost management for efficient manufacturing and distribution.
  • Fine Arts: Understand the theory and techniques for composing, producing, and performing music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Average Education

According to onetonline.org, it depends on the specific job. Some college, but no degree, is required for some jobs, just a high school diploma is required for others, and a Bachelor’s degree is required for others. We’ve divided these evenly in the chart below.

Top Fine Artist Salaries by Location

Factors that Impact Pay

Fine artists in Los Angeles, CA, earn the highest average salary among the cities listed, at $119,470. In New York, NY, fine artists receive an average salary of $106,240, followed by those in San Francisco, CA, with $96,190. Fargo, ND, and Charleston, SC, offer average salaries of $94,640 and $92,670, respectively, for fine artists.

Fine artists in California earn the highest average salary among the states listed, at $114,010. In New York, fine artists receive an average salary of $98,130, while those in Massachusetts earn $81,010. New Jersey and Connecticut offer average salaries of $78,650 and $69,790, respectively, for fine artists.

Take a look at the average fine artist salaries from top-paying cities according to Bls.gov data.

CityAverage Salary
Los Angeles, CA$119,470
New York, NY$106,240
San Francisco, CA$96,190
Fargo, ND$94,640
Charleston, SC$92,670
Annual mean wages.

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

StateAverage Salary
California$114,010
New York$98,130
Massachusetts$81,010
New Jersey$78,650
Connecticut$69,790
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


Free Video Series: Starting a Career in Patent Law and Passing the Patent Bar Exam.

Get the video series + receive study tips, special offers, and exam updates in our weekly newsletter.

    We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.