Best cities for a lead artist
The best cities for lead artists are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Las Vegas, NV, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for lead artists vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for lead artists in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a lead artist or considering a move, this list of the best cities for lead artists to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for lead artists. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a lead artist. While the absolute best city for lead artists is San Francisco, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for lead artists in 2024.
If you're looking for a lead artist job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for lead artists in 2025
1. San Francisco, CA
Total lead artist jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $104,728 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 25.69 2. Seattle, WA
Total lead artist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $99,079 Lowest 10 percent warn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location quotient: 13.52 3. Las Vegas, NV
Total lead artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $129,250 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location quotient: 0.00 4. Reno, NV
Total lead artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $136,861 Lowest 10 percent warn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $227,000 Location quotient: 0.00 5. North Las Vegas, NV
Total lead artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $129,059 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location quotient: 0.00 6. Henderson, NV
Total lead artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $128,078 Lowest 10 percent warn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location quotient: 0.00 7. Washington, DC
Total lead artist jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $110,992 Lowest 10 percent warn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location quotient: 9.90 8. Oakland, CA
Total lead artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $104,541 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. Raleigh, NC
Total lead artist jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $81,223 Lowest 10 percent warn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location quotient: 43.83 10. Fremont, CA
Total lead artist jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $104,327 Lowest 10 percent warn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location quotient: 0.00
Choose from 10+ customizable lead artist resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use lead artist resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your lead artist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for lead artists
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Reno, NV
- North Las Vegas, NV
- Henderson, NV
- Washington, DC
- Oakland, CA
- Raleigh, NC
- Fremont, CA
- (9 lead artist jobs)
- (4 lead artist jobs)
- (0 lead artist jobs)
- (0 lead artist jobs)
- (0 lead artist jobs)
- (0 lead artist jobs)
- (2 lead artist jobs)
- (0 lead artist jobs)
- (4 lead artist jobs)
- (0 lead artist jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a lead artist
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $104,728 | $63,000 | 870,887 | 9 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $99,079 | $59,000 | 704,352 | 4 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $129,250 | $77,000 | 632,912 | - |
| 4 | Reno, NV | $136,861 | $82,000 | 245,255 | - |
| 5 | North Las Vegas, NV | $129,059 | $77,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 6 | Henderson, NV | $128,078 | $77,000 | 292,969 | - |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $110,992 | $65,000 | 681,170 | 2 |
| 8 | Oakland, CA | $104,541 | $63,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $81,223 | $46,000 | 458,880 | 4 |
| 10 | Fremont, CA | $104,327 | $63,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 11 | San Jose, CA | $104,230 | $63,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $80,981 | $48,000 | 1,567,872 | - |
| 13 | Stockton, CA | $103,619 | $62,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 14 | Sacramento, CA | $103,399 | $62,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 15 | Brookhaven, NY | $95,520 | $57,000 | 486,040 | - |
| 16 | New York, NY | $94,577 | $56,000 | 8,537,673 | 13 |
| 17 | Fresno, CA | $102,103 | $61,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 18 | Islip, NY | $95,334 | $57,000 | 335,543 | - |
| 19 | Durham, NC | $81,209 | $46,000 | 263,016 | - |
| 20 | Oyster Bay, NY | $95,008 | $57,000 | 293,214 | - |
| 21 | Hempstead, NY | $94,915 | $56,000 | 759,757 | - |
| 22 | Greensboro, NC | $79,851 | $45,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 23 | Los Angeles, CA | $93,988 | $57,000 | 3,976,322 | 21 |
| 24 | Detroit, MI | $77,524 | $45,000 | 672,795 | - |
| 25 | Baltimore, MD | $96,624 | $57,000 | 614,664 | - |
| 26 | Fort Wayne, IN | $73,927 | $42,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 27 | Winston-Salem, NC | $79,117 | $45,000 | 242,203 | - |
| 28 | Albuquerque, NM | $80,619 | $48,000 | 559,277 | - |
| 29 | Bakersfield, CA | $98,552 | $59,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 30 | Irvine, CA | $92,080 | $55,000 | 266,122 | 11 |
| 31 | Pittsburgh, PA | $76,519 | $44,000 | 303,625 | - |
| 32 | Charlotte, NC | $76,516 | $43,000 | 842,051 | - |
| 33 | Long Beach, CA | $92,921 | $56,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 34 | Anaheim, CA | $92,720 | $56,000 | 351,043 | - |
| 35 | Buffalo, NY | $89,168 | $52,000 | 256,902 | - |
| 36 | Chicago, IL | $80,026 | $46,000 | 2,704,958 | - |
| 37 | Santa Ana, CA | $92,398 | $56,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 38 | Wichita, KS | $71,714 | $42,000 | 389,902 | - |
| 39 | Memphis, TN | $67,209 | $38,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 40 | Riverside, CA | $92,264 | $55,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 41 | Lexington, KY | $68,599 | $39,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 42 | Nashville, TN | $66,917 | $38,000 | 660,388 | - |
| 43 | Indianapolis, IN | $70,764 | $40,000 | 855,164 | - |
| 44 | El Paso, TX | $71,123 | $42,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 45 | San Diego, CA | $89,353 | $54,000 | 1,406,630 | 2 |
| 46 | Louisville, KY | $67,152 | $38,000 | 597,337 | - |
| 47 | Scottsdale, AZ | $70,890 | $42,000 | 246,645 | - |
| 48 | Chula Vista, CA | $89,034 | $54,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 49 | Chandler, AZ | $70,618 | $42,000 | 247,477 | - |
| 50 | Mesa, AZ | $70,577 | $42,000 | 484,587 | - |
Highest paying cities for lead artists
| Rank | City | Avg. lead artist salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $104,728 |
| 2 | Olympia, WA | $99,755 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $94,577 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $80,026 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $78,195 |
| 6 | Charlotte, NC | $76,516 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $68,223 |
| 8 | Plantation, FL | $65,713 |
| 9 | Andover, MA | $54,410 |
Lead artist best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.
Search for lead artist jobs
Updated January 8, 2025