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Lead artist salary
Average lead artist salary
$83,041
Understanding Lead Artist Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a lead artist is approximately $83,041 per year, with hourly wages around $40. This role is pivotal in guiding artistic direction and managing teams of artists across creative industries. Factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific field of work can influence salary variations significantly.
Average Lead Artist Salary by State
Lead artists in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries due to the concentration of creative industries. For example, California's average can reach up to $95,000 annually. Understanding these geographic salary differences is crucial for job seekers looking to maximize their earning potential.
Opportunities for Career Advancement
With experience, lead artists can move into higher-paying roles such as art director or creative director, which often command salaries of over $100,000. By leveraging their creative skills and industry knowledge, lead artists can position themselves for lucrative opportunities in both established companies and startups.
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Where can a Lead Artist earn more?
Lead artist salary estimates from across the web
Average lead artist salary by state
The average lead artist salary in Nevada, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead artist salary states are Nebraska, Missouri, and Ohio.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead artists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $128,538 | $61.80 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $116,846 | $56.18 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $112,463 | $54.07 |
| 4 | Idaho | $84,502 | $40.63 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $116,449 | $55.99 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $110,368 | $53.06 |
| 7 | Washington | $98,391 | $47.30 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $80,224 | $38.57 |
| 9 | New York | $94,256 | $45.32 |
| 10 | Delaware | $112,868 | $54.26 |
| 11 | California | $96,388 | $46.34 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $80,496 | $38.70 |
| 13 | Michigan | $77,007 | $37.02 |
| 14 | Maryland | $96,191 | $46.25 |
| 15 | Oregon | $78,936 | $37.95 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $79,006 | $37.98 |
| 17 | Maine | $79,331 | $38.14 |
| 18 | Illinois | $79,308 | $38.13 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $67,343 | $32.38 |
| 20 | Utah | $67,074 | $32.25 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $68,080 | $32.73 |
| 22 | Kansas | $70,170 | $33.74 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $67,402 | $32.40 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $75,054 | $36.08 |
| 25 | Iowa | $71,242 | $34.25 |
| 26 | Virginia | $70,638 | $33.96 |
| 27 | Indiana | $71,178 | $34.22 |
| 28 | Arizona | $70,755 | $34.02 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $76,349 | $36.71 |
| 30 | Texas | $67,761 | $32.58 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $53,972 | $25.95 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $69,858 | $33.59 |
| 33 | Colorado | $69,954 | $33.63 |
| 34 | Alaska | $56,954 | $27.38 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $63,737 | $30.64 |
| 36 | Vermont | $67,174 | $32.30 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $56,986 | $27.40 |
| 38 | Florida | $65,561 | $31.52 |
| 39 | Ohio | $47,375 | $22.78 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $52,776 | $25.37 |
| 41 | Georgia | $53,754 | $25.84 |
| 42 | Missouri | $47,746 | $22.95 |
| 43 | Montana | $47,809 | $22.99 |
| 44 | Massachusetts | $55,054 | $26.47 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $47,764 | $22.96 |
| 46 | Alabama | $52,634 | $25.30 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $52,449 | $25.22 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $42,087 | $20.23 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $52,882 | $25.42 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $46,725 | $22.46 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $43,556 | $20.94 |
Highest paying cities for lead artists
The highest-paying cities for lead artists are San Francisco, CA, Olympia, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $104,728 | $50.35 |
| 2 | Olympia, WA | $99,755 | $47.96 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $94,577 | $45.47 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $80,026 | $38.47 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $78,195 | $37.59 |
| 6 | Charlotte, NC | $76,516 | $36.79 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $68,223 | $32.80 |
| 8 | Plantation, FL | $65,713 | $31.59 |
| 9 | Andover, MA | $54,410 | $26.16 |
Lead artist salary details
A lead artist's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $128,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead artist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $128,000 | $10,667 | $62 |
| 75th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| Average | $83,041 | $6,920 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying lead artist jobs
The highest paying types of lead artists are lead designer, senior designer, and interactive designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer | $49,450 | $4,121 | $23.77 | 45,625 |
| Visual Designer | $86,495 | $7,208 | $41.58 | 46,815 |
| Graphic Design Manager | $66,975 | $5,581 | $32.20 | 48,269 |
| Graphic Designer/Production | $48,619 | $4,052 | $23.37 | 95,831 |
| Animator | $76,853 | $6,404 | $36.95 | 551 |
| Web Graphic Designer | $52,574 | $4,381 | $25.28 | 51,462 |
Top companies hiring lead artists now:
Which companies pay lead artists the most?
Lead artist salaries at Meta and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead artist salary at companies like Ascent Capital Group and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $157,690 | $75.81 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $142,811 | $68.66 |
| 3 | Ascent Capital Group | $119,666 | $57.53 |
| 4 | Amazon | $113,135 | $54.39 |
| 5 | Warner Bros. | $103,592 | $49.80 |
| 6 | DreamWorks Animation | $96,980 | $46.63 |
| 7 | Game Show Network | $95,475 | $45.90 |
| 8 | GSN Games | $95,109 | $45.73 |
| 9 | 2k | $94,821 | $45.59 |
| 10 | Ready At Dawn Studios | $92,247 | $44.35 |
| 11 | ArenaNet | $91,858 | $44.16 |
| 12 | Take-Two Interactive Software | $91,702 | $44.09 |
| 13 | Electronic Arts | $91,529 | $44.00 |
| 14 | ZeniMax Media | $91,165 | $43.83 |
| 15 | Riot Games | $91,152 | $43.82 |
| 16 | Iron Galaxy Studios | $90,893 | $43.70 |
| 17 | Activision Blizzard | $89,297 | $42.93 |
| 18 | WarnerMedia | $88,317 | $42.46 |
| 19 | Sony Electronics | $86,925 | $41.79 |
| 20 | Applied Intuition | $86,553 | $41.61 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead Artist salary by industry
The average lead artist salary varies across industries:
- The average lead artist salary in the technology industry is $92,247, the highest of any industry.
- The average lead artist salary in the finance industry is $90,689.
- Lead artists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $71,854, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for lead artists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $92,247 | $44.35 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $90,689 | $43.60 |
| 3 | Media | $89,625 | $43.09 |
| 4 | Professional | $81,727 | $39.29 |
| 5 | Retail | $71,854 | $34.55 |
High paying lead artist jobs
Lead artist salary trends
The average lead artist salary has risen by $18,029 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead artist earned $65,012 annually, but today, they earn $83,041 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for lead artists over the last decade.
Compare lead artist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead artist salary over time
Compare lead artist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $83,000 | $39.92 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $80,400 | $38.68 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $77,500 | $37.26 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | $75,400 | $36.24 | +7.4% |
| 2022 | $69,800 | $33.55 | +2.0% |
Recently added lead artist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kabam | Lead UI Artist | Vancouver, WA | 06/11/2025 | $116,800 |
| Netflix, Inc. | Lead Artist, Game Studio | Los Angeles, CA | 05/21/2025 | $120,000 |
| Kabam | Lead UI Artist | Vancouver, WA | 05/03/2025 | $116,800 |
| Kabam | Lead UI Artist | Vancouver, WA | 04/28/2025 | $116,800 |
| Warner Bros Discovery Inc. | Lead Artist, World | Chicago, IL | 04/24/2025 | $77,000 |
| Meta | Lead UI Artist-Sanzaru | Topeka, KS | 03/22/2025 | $149,000 |
| Meta | Lead UI Artist-Sanzaru | Atlanta, GA | 03/22/2025 | $149,000 |
| Meta | Lead UI Artist-Sanzaru | Little Rock, AR | 03/22/2025 | $149,000 |
| Meta | Lead UI Artist-Sanzaru | Montgomery, AL | 03/22/2025 | $149,000 |
| Meta | Lead UI Artist-Sanzaru | Columbia, SC | 03/22/2025 | $149,000 |
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