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Art Careers, Jobs & Salaries

You're creative. You love to draw, paint, sculpt, write, or design. But what does it take to have a career as an artist? What paths can or should you pursue, and how valid is the stereotype of the starving artist? Pursuing a career as a full-time artist is possible, if you have the passion and the energy.

Career Paths

Artists can typically be categorized into four groups:

• Art Directors: Art directors develop design concepts for media pieces and oversee the entire creation and production process.
• Craft Artists: Craft artists hand-make objects, such as candles, tapestries, quilts, and pottery, to be sold or shown.
• Fine Artists: Fine artists create items such as paintings, sculpture, and illustrations that are often displayed in museums and galleries.
• Multimedia Artists: Multimedia artists create images for film, video and other forms of electronic media.

About 62% of artists are self-employed. Many, however, find work with museums, galleries, schools, advertising agencies, magazines, newspapers, and movie studios. Employment of artists and related workers is expected to grow faster than average: 16% through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Competition in all art and design fields is generally quite keen. The outlook is most favorable for multimedia artists and animators, as the demand for special effects in movies, television and video games increases.Medical illustration will also be in demand as medical research grows.

Salaries vary greatly for artists, particularly for freelance artists who must work to ensure a constant stream of income. Average earnings for artists range from $32,570 for craft artists to $88,510 for art directors. Some may make much more.

Career Tips

Related Resources

Career Descriptions & Outlook

Visual Artist - The Occupational Outlook Handbook entry for visual artists.

Career Alternatives for Art Historians - A list of job possibilities, compiled by Charles Rosenberg for the University of Notre Dame.

Careers in the Arts - Career descriptions related to the visual arts, from SUNY Oswego.

Careers in Art: An Illustrated Guide - Provides an overview of the various career possibilities in art, including steps on how to be successful in each career field.

Opportunities in Arts and Crafts Careers - A book to help you as you consider a career in one of 25 different art concentrations.

Internships

MonsterCollege - Advice and entry-level opportunities through MonsterCollege, the job network for college students and recent grads.

Idealist - Search for internships in non-profit organizations worldwide.

National Network for Artist Placement - Links to assorted publications about internship and job placement for artists.

National Gallery of Art - Graduate internships and fellowships administered by different divisions within the institution.

Cover Letter & Resume Books

Cover Letter Magic: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers - This book features more than 150 sample cover letters, as well as great tips on writing a winning cover letter.

Designing Creative Resumes: A Complete Resource for the Creative Professional - A guide for the design elements of a creative resume.

Crisp Designing Portfolios - Guide for creating a portfolio.

The Self-Employed Artist

Advice on Art - Career skills for artists. Focuses on fine art topics such as dealing with galleries, photographing your work, etc.

Selling Your Art at Online Auctions - Tips on how to successfully sell art through online auctions.

ArtDeadline.com - Professional art opportunities available to subscribers.

Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market (Annual) - Annual guide for freelance contacts in the art market.

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines - A comprehensive guide to buying and selling art work.

How to Survive and Prosper As an Artist : Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul - Resources for prospering as an artist.

The Artist's Marketing and Action Plan Workbook - Guide for the successful sale of artwork.

Taking the Leap : Building a Career As a Visual Artist - Great information on establishing a visual arts career.