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How to hire an art instructor

Art instructor hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring art instructors in the United States:

  • There are currently 40,854 art instructors in the US, as well as 27,158 job openings.
  • Art instructors are in the highest demand in New York, NY, with 15 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire an art instructor is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new art instructor to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an art instructor, step by step

To hire an art instructor, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire an art instructor:

Here's a step-by-step art instructor hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an art instructor job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new art instructor
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an art instructor do?

An art instructor is responsible for providing instructions on art activities, as well as preparing lectures about the art industry. Art instructors share techniques and keep a sufficient amount of art materials for practical use. They also evaluate students' art outputs and give them constructive feedback for development. An art instructor must encourage the students to boost their self-confidence about their craft and guide them to achieve their maximum potential. Art instructors must have excellent knowledge of the art industry, including its importance and history for the students' easy comprehension.

Learn more about the specifics of what an art instructor does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your art instructor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an art instructor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an art instructor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an art instructor that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of art instructors and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Art InstructorDescriptionHourly rate
    Art InstructorPostsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.$10-29
    Piano TeacherPiano Teachers are responsible for teaching piano lessons and sustaining student progress by explaining and demonstrating various piano techniques. They develop and execute class plans, and prepare course materials such as syllabi and homework assignments.$18-34
    Visiting ProfessorVisiting professors are faculty members from an institution who must visit a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic they are knowledgeable in. These professors are required to create a positive learning environment among undergraduate students by inviting them to participate and engage in classroom activities, which can consistently enhance the learning process of their students... Show more$26-115
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Classroom Management
    • Kids
    • Professional Development
    • Customer Service
    • Fine Arts
    • Curriculum Development
    • Graphic Design
    • Art History
    • Studio Art
    • Printmaking
    • Sculpture
    • Learning Environment
    • Art Classes
    • Syllabus
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage day of logistics and resolve problems to ensure events run smoothly.
    • Lead kids through snack, game time, homework time, an art lesson, and manage a gallery wall.
    • Instruct elementary school and high school age students in classes such as sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics.
    • Create unique process-base art education congruent with session themes in sculpture and 3D media for students five to six years old.
    • Organize annual trips to NYC for performing arts students.
    • Digitize images and articles into PDF documents for educational use.
    More art instructor duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your art instructor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An art instructor can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, art instructors' average salary in colorado is 55% less than in connecticut.
    • Seniority. Entry-level art instructors 66% less than senior-level art instructors.
    • Certifications. An art instructor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an art instructor's salary.

    Average art instructor salary

    $36,539yearly

    $17.57 hourly rate

    Entry-level art instructor salary
    $21,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 20, 2025

    Average art instructor salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1New York$45,225$22
    2New Jersey$35,466$17
    3North Carolina$34,603$17
    4California$33,739$16
    5Maryland$33,549$16
    6Minnesota$31,726$15
    7Texas$30,613$15
    8Florida$29,390$14
    9Virginia$28,626$14
    10Louisiana$28,234$14
    11New Mexico$26,913$13
    12Washington$26,056$13
    13Arkansas$25,276$12
    14Oregon$24,936$12
    15Arizona$24,527$12
    16South Carolina$24,159$12
    17Nebraska$24,033$12
    18Illinois$23,798$11
    19Colorado$20,964$10

    Average art instructor salary by company

  4. Writing an art instructor job description

    An art instructor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an art instructor job description:

    Art instructor job description example

    French American + International is a PK-12 independent school in San Francisco. Founded in 1962, the school is a multicultural, multilingual educational institution with over 1,100 students across an urban campus in the heart of the city. Guided by the principles of academic rigor and diversity, the French American International School offers programs of study in French and English to prepare its graduates for a world in which the ability to think critically and to communicate across cultures is of paramount importance.

    Mission and Values

    Our international community brings together people from many backgrounds. Together we strive to create a shared culture that develops compassionate, confident, and principled people who will make the world better. We base our community on these values: Respect, Integrity, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Curiosity.

    Opportunity

    Working at French American + International opens up a myriad of opportunities – both personal and professional. Critical to our Strategic Plan in creating a proud, engaged community, we appreciate our faculty and staff by fostering a community of ongoing learning, respect, and collegiality and by providing competitive compensation and benefits. It is also of paramount importance to us that we continue to foster an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion as we build a school community of individuals who are an actual representation of the world we live in.

    Position Overview:

    The French American + International Conservatory offers after-school 1-1 instrumental/vocal lessons

    1-1 Lesson Job Description

    ● To provide 1-1 lesson that are engaging, challenging, taught imaginatively, and that align with the learning styles of the student - the aim being to provide students with great teaching, mentoring, and a lifelong desire to pursue music lessons throughout their education and beyond

    ● To take attendance, submit hours, and follow up with the Director of Extended Care in the event of student/teacher absence

    ● To follow up on any musical needs with the Head of Creative and Performing Arts

    ● To prepare students to perform at least once per year in one of three scheduled conservatory concerts

    ● To attend conservatory concerts whenever available to support students and liaise with parents

    ● 1-1 lesson are 30 mins (grades 1-5) and 60 mins (grades 6-12): this is an after-school, in person, position: only local applicants should apply

    ● We are potentially looking to provide all orchestral instruments, guitars, voice, piano, drums/percussion, theory/composition, and music technology. To apply please click here

    EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY

    French American International School is committed to providing an open, fair, inclusive, non-discriminatory environment for all individuals across differences of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, socio-economic status, ethnicity, age, physical ability, or medical condition. We seek to increase the presence, representation, and inclusion of U.S. historically under-represented people of color, international, bilingual, and bicultural students, faculty, and staff; and, to provide an environment that will attract and retain individuals identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex (LGBTQI)

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  5. Post your job

    To find art instructors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any art instructors they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level art instructors with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your art instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality art instructor candidates.
    • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting art instructors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new art instructor

    Once you've decided on a perfect art instructor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new art instructor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an art instructor?

Recruiting art instructors involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

Art instructors earn a median yearly salary is $36,539 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find art instructors for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $10 and $29.

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