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Fine artist vs commercial artist

The differences between fine artists and commercial artists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a fine artist and a commercial artist. Additionally, a fine artist has an average salary of $61,680, which is higher than the $60,449 average annual salary of a commercial artist.

The top three skills for a fine artist include graphic design, sculpture and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a commercial artist are art projects, photography, and adobe photoshop.

Fine artist vs commercial artist overview

Fine ArtistCommercial Artist
Yearly salary$61,680$60,449
Hourly rate$29.65$29.06
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs4,24630,066
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4040
Years of experience66

Fine artist vs commercial artist salary

Fine artists and commercial artists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fine ArtistCommercial Artist
Average salary$61,680$60,449
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $106,000Between $36,000 And $100,000
Highest paying CityPasadena, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyMBI-
Best paying industryInsurance-

Differences between fine artist and commercial artist education

There are a few differences between a fine artist and a commercial artist in terms of educational background:

Fine ArtistCommercial Artist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorFine ArtsGraphic Design
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Fine artist vs commercial artist demographics

Here are the differences between fine artists' and commercial artists' demographics:

Fine ArtistCommercial Artist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 40.2% Female, 59.8%Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between fine artist and commercial artist duties and responsibilities

Fine artist example responsibilities.

  • Manage studio workload and advise print direction to in-house and freelance cad artists.
  • Create sculpture, illustrations, and cartoons for private customers
  • Utilize social media platforms including Facebook to connect with college community.
  • Conceptualize and develop terrain models using Maya and partner with director and animators to correspond and produce effective shots.
  • Perform typesetting duties when necessary.

Commercial artist example 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.

Fine artist vs commercial artist skills

Common fine artist skills
  • Graphic Design, 11%
  • Sculpture, 9%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Portfolio, 9%
  • Fine Arts, 8%
  • Watercolor, 7%
Common commercial artist skills
  • Art Projects, 32%
  • Photography, 12%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 12%
  • Technical Illustrations, 8%
  • Customer Relations, 6%
  • Posters, 5%

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