Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for concept artists in the United States
Are concept artist jobs in demand?
Concept artist job and salary trends over time
Concept artist jobs over time
Concept artist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,240 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,196 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,653 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,529 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,736 | 0.00% |
Average concept artist salary over time
Concept artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,713 | $41.21 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $83,032 | $39.92 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $79,999 | $38.46 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $77,804 | $37.41 | +8.0% |
| 2021 | $72,034 | $34.63 | +2.1% |
Concept artist jobs by state
Most common states for concept artists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,657 | 11 | 2% |
| 2 | California | 39,536,653 | 354 | 1% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 76 | 1% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 62 | 1% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 36 | 1% |
| 6 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 30 | 1% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 26 | 1% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 20 | 1% |
| 9 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 17 | 1% |
| 10 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 15 | 1% |
| 11 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 13 | 1% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 12 | 1% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 12 | 1% |
| 14 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 12 | 1% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 11 | 1% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 4 | 1% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 4 | 1% |
| 18 | New York | 19,849,399 | 78 | 0% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 3 | 0% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 2 | 0% |
Most common cities for concept artists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Marcos | 1 | 1% | $95,568 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $100,666 |
| 3 | Winston-Salem | 1 | 0% | $80,694 |
Concept Artist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of concept artist experts
Webster University
College of Central Florida
Christopher Aaron
Associate Professor of Media ArtsWebster University
Radio, Television, And Digital Communication
What general advice would you give to a Concept Artist?
Christopher Aaron: - Be open and adaptable and strategic. Know that most creatives do not get their dream job out of college. You may need to get a masters degree. You may need to get industry experience. So realize most need to build a career. That means starting for introductory positions, the kind that are the least popular. So maybe don’t apply to Lead Character Designer at Blizzard right out of school, maybe apply for Environmental Artist or Texture Artist or Storyboard Artist at smaller studios. Once your foot is in the door, you can start networking and look to make moves to the positions you ARE interested in.
- Employers like seeing school assignments in your portfolio, but they will want to see outside work as well. I’ve had studio heads say they even ask candidates “Are all of these examples school assignments?” as a trick question to see if they are working on projects on their own time. If a student has more than just school assignments, it shows the drive of the potential candidate.
- Don’t burn bridges and network. Students usually get their first really desirable positions from unexpected sources. Stay engaged with former peers online, use your connections for info and opportunities from your peers.
What Concept Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Aaron: - Procedural approaches will be a big deal. Procedural modeling, layout, texturing, etc. will continue to replace object-based modeling and manual layout.
- AI is here. Being able to work with it will be a reality many artists are wary of.
- Virtual production will grow exponentially. Learning game engines will open up all kinds of opportunities in the game industry as well as the film industry.
- Old skills will still be needed and may become more valuable. For example, traditional frame by frame animation will be increasingly sought after as less and less people will be practicing it. We’ve had alumni get great positions because they were the only animators in a region that could do frame by frame. When the industry goes in one direction (like using 2.5D and cut out rigs) the skills “left behind” sometimes become obscure and gain value.
What will help Concept Artists increase their earning potential?
Christopher Aaron: - NEGOTIATE! Always negotiate. Nobody is going to take away the job you got if you negotiate. If you are the final candidate, you are the final choice. I’ve found candidates who make themselves negotiate early make better pay, get more respect from their leadership, and this just sets up a precedent with your supervisor for other promotions and advancements.
- Technical skills can only increase your value as a candidate. Even 2D folks can stay abreast of the developing technology and software.
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.
Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and HumanitiesCollege of Central Florida
Engineering Technology
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Concept Artists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: Technology is constantly evolving and changing the way we experience the arts, generally for the better. I anticipate great strides in the fields of digital media and digital music. Technology affords us the opportunity to connect with a larger, more global audience on the one hand, and also kindle in a younger generation an interest in the arts.
What general advice would you give to a Concept Artist?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: I was once told if you do what you love you will never "work" a day in your life. I have found this true in my own career and hope our VPA graduates will find it true in theirs as well. The arts offer such a unique means of engaging and we, as arts educators, have an ability to "reach" those we have contact with in a unique way.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Concept Artists?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.: A positive result of COVID-19 is a "coming together" of the academic community to embrace and adapt to the "new normal"-from instructors to publishers to instrument manufacturers. Each of the above has taken a difficult challenge and used it to push the arts forward offering, for example, livestreams when the concept of a live audience is not feasible. We have approached the challenge with creativity because that is what we do.