How to hire an artist

How to hire an artist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step artist hiring guide:

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

What does an artist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The artist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an artist 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 artist that fits the bill.

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

   Type of Artist	Description	Hourly rate
   Artist	Craft and fine artists use a variety of materials and techniques to create art for sale and exhibition. Craft artists create handmade objects, such as pottery, glassware, textiles, and other objects that are designed to be functional... Show more	$20-52
   Visual Merchandiser	A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more	$12-25
   Freelance Designer	Freelance designers are creative, independent contractors who create visual and graphic designs for their clients. They develop text and illustrated versions of brands, messages, and communications with strong visible influence with their clients... Show more	$18-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Maya
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Customer Service
   • Graphic Design
   • Photography
   • VFX
   • Sketch
   • ZBrush
   • Concept Art
   • Adobe Illustrator
   • Art Assets
   • UV
   • User Interface
   • Adobe Creative Suite

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage studio workload and advise print direction to in-house and freelance cad artists.
   • Manage online product catalog using Dreamweaver.
   • Assist customers with product selection and process POS transactions.
   • Provide comparative analysis on traditional vs. Mac vs. PC production.
   • Animate in-game characters, user interface assets and particle effects.
   • Own & operate a specialize faux painting, mural and art business.

   More artist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, artists' average salary in arkansas is 23% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level artists 62% less than senior-level artists.
   • Certifications. An artist 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 artist's salary.

   Average artist salary

   $68,690yearly

   $33.02 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level artist salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average artist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$79,430	$38
   2	Nevada	$76,609	$37
   3	Oregon	$73,173	$35
   4	Washington	$72,903	$35
   5	Connecticut	$70,246	$34
   6	New York	$70,244	$34
   7	Arizona	$69,596	$33
   8	Massachusetts	$69,451	$33
   9	Maryland	$69,002	$33
   10	Maine	$66,438	$32
   11	Texas	$63,285	$30
   12	Illinois	$62,945	$30
   13	Minnesota	$62,850	$30
   14	North Carolina	$62,403	$30
   15	Colorado	$61,849	$30
   16	Florida	$60,055	$29
   17	Georgia	$58,437	$28
   18	Tennessee	$58,422	$28

   Average artist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$132,470	$63.69	1
   2	Microsoft	$126,796	$60.96
   3	Apple	$118,731	$57.08	1
   4	Lucid Motors	$93,787	$45.09
   5	The Tipping Point	$92,437	$44.44
   6	Autodesk	$90,949	$43.73
   7	WayForward	$89,512	$43.03
   8	The Walt Disney Company	$87,875	$42.25	5
   9	Digital Domain	$87,121	$41.89
   10	PIXOMONDO	$87,000	$41.83
   11	Video Gaming Technologies	$85,972	$41.33
   12	Warner Bros.	$85,756	$41.23	11
   13	TikTok	$85,399	$41.06
   14	Pixar Animation Studios	$84,174	$40.47
   15	Amazon	$83,935	$40.35	2
   16	PlayStation	$83,692	$40.24	4
   17	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	$82,906	$39.86
   18	School of the Art Institute of Chicago	$82,682	$39.75
   19	DreamWorks Animation	$82,661	$39.74
   20	Future	$82,075	$39.46

4. Writing an artist job description

   A good artist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an artist job description:

   Artist job description example

   Who We Are
   
   We're Sandbox VR, and we're the most advanced virtual reality experience in the world. Our mission is to connect with our guests through world-class immersive experiences. Our vision is to create a global community where people come together to experience new realities. With our Hollywood motion capture cameras, 3D body trackers, and haptic suits, we're operating the next generation of cinemas - where our guests are the stars of their own movies. Venturing into space? You got it. Channeling your inner pirate? Absolutely. Need to get some steps but hate the gym? Our experiences definitely get our guests moving.
   
   Since we launched in Hong Kong in 2017, we're now live in 25 locations and 7 countries around the world. (We're the #1 Activity in Hong Kong and Singapore on TripAdvisor, and are averaging 4.8/5 stars on our Google reviews across all US locations). Oh, did we mention we're rapidly expanding? We want you be a part of our journey and help us build this new world!
   
   Being a VFX Artist at Sandbox VR means you'll be responsible for the quality of all VFX in our cutting-edge VR experiences. You'll use your experience and know-how to define VFX quality standards and create world-class visual effects which surprise and dazzle our guests. You will use your artistic skills to create beautiful effects and your technical skills to ensure your effects work within performance and technical constraints. You will work closely with the Art Director and Creative Director to ensure your VFX meets each project's requirements.
   What you will be doing;Owning VFX Pipeline - You'll use your background in VFX to analyze our current pipelines and determine the best tools to get the job done moving forward. You'll create high-quality VFX based on references and use your creativity to help define the VFX style for each project. You will ensure each effect you create is both visually compelling and easily readable by players.Variety - At Sandbox VR, we have multiple development teams working on unique and exciting projects. These projects might have completely different art styles or totally separate genres and themes. You'll have the chance to work on many different kinds of effects and really flex your creative muscles in order to bring your unique style to each project.Innovating - At Sandbox VR, you will have a chance to genuinely innovate and create something new. VFX within VR is an emerging industry and you'll have the chance to join a very passionate creative team who can support you in creating visual and interactive experiences like none other.
   Who we are looking for:Visual Wow - You can show us a portfolio of excellent effects which you've created. The portfolio will show that you can handle the entire authoring process, including particle effects, animations, textures, and shaders. You know you can bring visual flair to everything you work on, and you're excited to show us a reel that proves it.Unity Experience - You have worked within the Unity engine and understand how to create amazing-looking VFX within the engine. You have a good understanding of available plug-ins and optimization methods you can use to create great-looking effects that fit within technical budgets.Shaders are your thing - You have experience writing and optimizing shaders for your VFX.Technically Proficient - You're highly skilled in the tools of your trade, including Maya (or equivalent), and scripting, and you have experience with Houdini or other dynamic simulation tools.Always Learning - You will be responsible for keeping up with the latest Unity features and plugins to make sure your projects look incredible.
   How you can impress us:You have worked on VR/AR projects in the past, whether they be professional or even hobby projects.You have a strong personal interest in video game technology. You understand industry trends and upcoming innovations. If you have given talks at games/VR industry shows or written articles about your craft, this is a great way you can demonstrate your understanding to us.This role is mainly for real-time VFX, but cinematic VFX is a plus.VR is an exciting new medium for you, you are passionate about the possibilities of the technology and you're eager to use your skills to push this industry forward.
   
   Sandbox VR is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find artists 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 artists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level artists 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 artist job on Zippia to find and recruit artist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting artists 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 artist

   Once you've found the artist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new artist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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