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What is a commercial artist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted expert
Michalis Andronikou PhD
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a commercial artist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $29.06 an hour? That's $60,449 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 2,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a commercial artist?

Michalis Andronikou PhDMichalis Andronikou PhD LinkedIn profile

Lecturer, Website

Be open-minded and creative. You may need to combine a few different skills to find your own professional path.
ScoreCommercial ArtistUS Average
Salary
4.7

Avg. Salary $60,449

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
3.5

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.63%

Asian 7.61%

Black or African American 4.32%

Hispanic or Latino 14.12%

Unknown 5.56%

White 67.75%

Gender

female 41.63%

male 58.37%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
3.5

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Commercial artist career paths

Key steps to become a commercial artist

  1. Explore commercial artist education requirements

    Most common commercial artist degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.0 %

    Associate

    26.9 %

    High School Diploma

    5.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific commercial artist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Art Projects32.01%
    Photography12.47%
    Adobe Photoshop11.71%
    Technical Illustrations8.13%
    Customer Relations6.31%
  3. Research commercial artist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage external communications such as brochures and other sales collateral for direct mail from inception to circulation.
    • Utilize a variety of creative media including illustration, photography and digital design to convey ideas beautifully and intelligently.
    • Create online stores and sell artwork through Zazzle, Etsy, and Cafepress.
  4. Prepare your commercial artist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your commercial artist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a commercial artist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable commercial artist resume templates

    Build a professional commercial artist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your commercial artist resume.
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
    Commercial Artist Resume
  5. Apply for commercial artist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a commercial artist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first commercial artist job

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Average commercial artist salary

The average commercial artist salary in the United States is $60,449 per year or $29 per hour. Commercial artist salaries range between $36,000 and $100,000 per year.

Average commercial artist salary
$60,449 Yearly
$29.06 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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