How to hire a commercial artist

How to hire a commercial artist, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the commercial artist you need to hire. Certain commercial artist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A commercial artist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, commercial artists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of commercial artist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Commercial Artist	Description	Hourly rate
   Commercial 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	$17-48
   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
   Technical Illustrator	Technical illustrators create drawings or illustrations for various technical documentation through digital technology. Aside from being familiar with IT and design software, they have strong creativity and imaginative skills to provide illustrations that express an idea or concept... Show more	$14-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Art Projects
   • Photography
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Technical Illustrations
   • Customer Relations
   • Posters
   • Web Design
   • Promotional Materials
   • Typesetting
   • Windows
   • Business Cards
   • CAD
   • Fine Arts
   • PowerPoint

   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.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your commercial artist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A commercial artist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, commercial artists' average salary in florida is 42% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level commercial artists earn 64% less than senior-level commercial artists.
   • Certifications. A commercial artist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a commercial artist's salary.

   Average commercial artist salary

   $60,449yearly

   $29.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level commercial artist salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 1, 2026

4. Writing a commercial artist job description

   A commercial artist 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. Below, you can find an example of a commercial artist job description:

   Commercial artist job description example

   • Lead a team responsible for drafting, reviewing, and finalizing preliminary and final site plans and construction documents.
   • Review project survey data to analyze existing site conditions and factors to consider for development including but not limited to legal descriptions, ALTA surveys, easement documents, and condo documents.
   • Prepare reports, opinions, and recommendations for the direction of the project; hydrology/hydraulic studies, due diligence/site analysis reports, engineer’s opinion of probable costs, project schedules, utility computations, detention/retention computations, storm sewer reports, local and state permit applications, storm water reports, soils reports, earthwork volume calculations, StormCAD reports, WaterCAD reports, and preliminary/final detailed grading.
   • Provide construction-related services and direct junior team members to complete items such as permit applications, cut sheets, quantity estimates, and transmittals; organize site plans, construction plans, construction sheet set-up and assembly and other related construction documents.
   • Utilize AutoCAD Civil 3D and related engineering software packages to complete assignments on time and within prescribed standards and budgets.

   Requirements:

   • Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering
   • PE License is desired
   • Six (6) plus years of experience.

   Job Requisition #35777

   A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this role is $110,000 - $140,000 per year.

   The disclosed pay range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case, such as skills and experience levels.

   General Description of Benefits:

   Medical, Dental, Vision insurance, 401(K) and other supplemental coverage.

   APC believes that the workplace should be fun and enjoyable. Join our team today and ignite your career!

   Meet APC

   Company – Staffing – 501 – 1000 employees

   APC is a professional services organization focused on engaging people and positively impacting lives. We offer excellent benefits and the opportunity for longevity, working with our premier fortune 100 clients. As professionals serving professionals, we take pride in providing our employees with the highest level of customer service and support, creating meaningful, fulfilling and rewarding experiences every day.

   APC is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting commercial 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 commercial artist

   Once you've selected the best commercial artist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new commercial artist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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